


Upside Down

by MinnieLaceHaz



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Bottom Ashton, Bottom Michael, Hybrid Michael, M/M, Top Calum, Top Luke, hybrid ashton, hybrids talk in third person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 01:12:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 45,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4544400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinnieLaceHaz/pseuds/MinnieLaceHaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You turned my world upside down and I could never be more thankful."</p><p>Luke has a boring life with one friend, a painfully annoying boss and the same schedule everyday. That is until he stumbles into a boy named Ashton. However, the boy wasn't just a boy and Luke knew that as soon as that grey beanie came off, revealing a pair of kitten ears.</p><p>(warning: the boys can turn into kittens when scared or by choice)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A typical day in Luke's life is waking up, going to work, hanging out with his friend Calum, then going to bed. Only to wake up and restart the routine. Sometimes he spices it up and goes to a bar. However, that's rare considering Luke isn't pleased and doesn't enjoy getting wasted every night unlike his friend.

It's not like he wants to be boring, he just doesn't like taking risks. Luke isn't afraid of anything, he just doesn't know when to say yes.For some people it's hard to say no. But, Luke's different. He can always say no. It's probably his favorite word in the entire world.

That's probably why his boss hates him so much. When asked to do something, he always says no. Calum always found it hilarious that he hasn't gotten fired yet. But, Luke is a smart cookie and knows that his job is to ring up items, hand them the check and items they bought and that's it. He's not suppose to clean bathrooms or put away items. So, he's allowed to say no.

He's kind of a lazy person, but it's not his fault. Growing up spoiled really does that to a person. His brothers both left before he was even ten, so his mum always babied him. Sadly, she moved with her new husband to America after a while, but still keeps in contact sometimes.

That's why he moved to Sydney after a while. He use to live in Melbourne, but he wanted a fresh start after school. His friend, Calum, moved with him and now they're closer than ever. Calum enjoys teasing Luke about his boring life, cause Calum has always been more adventurous and exciting.

Much to Luke's humor, Calum has bored down and now he's also a lazy asshole. They're not rude, they're just not caring. Luke can care about a person if he wants to, but he prefers to just lean back and not get involved with drama. He doesn't like having his life changed by someone's stupid decisions.

Of course, that all changed when he went to work one day. Nothing really exciting happens at work. He usually just chills at the register and flips through his recent magazines, some old from like 2013, but others brand new. He was just reading up on an article about Caitlin Jenner until Calum walked in.

Luke works at a convenience store and it's on the far and more 'backstreet' side of Sydney. He didn't mind being in a shifty area considering that is where he lives. He just prefers working there since not many people come by and when they do, they just look around and buy cigarettes, then leave without a word.

That's why Calum comes by and likes to keep him occupied by talking about his recent fucks and how he will always be single and never meet a boy. Calum is gay, while Luke is more confused. Luke dated a guy, had sex with a guy, but he's not sure if he's even attracted to them, or if he's just experimenting.

It didn't matter much, but when he looked at Caitlin Jenner, he was even more confused cause she's hot. But, he also can't help but think Brody Jenner is hot as fuck as well. He just didn't really care anyways. If he likes a guy or girl, it didn't matter to him because it's not something he should worry about.

"Bro, what are you doing?" Calum snorted in amusement, walking in with a snapback on and shivering a little while tugging his jacket tightly around himself. He then laughed a little when he noticed the magazine. "Caitlin Jenner? Interesting. So, do you have any cigarettes?"

"No, you're gonna die," Luke argued, placing the magazine back.

The blunt response made Calum roll his eyes and hand him a five. Luke reluctantly gave him a packet of cigarettes and frowned when Calum put them in his jacket pocket. He really wasn't a fan of Calum smoking, however he's not his parent and can't say much.

Calum looked around and said with annoyance,"Dude, it's so quiet. You should turn on some music or something."

"I don't know how to do that," Luke shrugged and grabbed a bag of crisps, putting in a dollar in the register to pay for them. He opened them up and saw Calum walking around the back of the counter. "You can't be back here, Cal. It's employees only! You're gonna get me in trouble."

"Chill, your boss isn't even here," Calum laughed and looked around till finding a nice speaker dock for an iphone. He plugged it in and grinned as he scrolled through his songs. Finally, he chose one and sang along annoyingly,"Boy toy named Troy, used to live in Detroit..."

"Nooo, stop the madness!" Luke exclaimed, whining as he covered his ears. "I swear to God, if you don't change the song, I will fight a bitch."

Calum pouted, but changed the song to Green Day and Luke seemed pleased. Their friendship was definitely interesting, that's for sure. Calum was a nice guy who just happened to be annoying. It was hard to explain, but he loved the boy nonetheless and they always find a way to get along.

It was hard to get along sometimes, though, cause Calum had a weird obsession with Nicki Minaj while Luke wanted to slay the bitch. They went to one of her concerts, Calum forcing Luke, and it was definitely...interesting. Luke just wanted to stab himself while Calum was shaking his ass and getting tons of attention by girls around. Along with gay guys.

He sighed deeply and saw Calum looking through some magazines while leaning against the counter. Luke was bored and playing around with some pens. A few guys and girls came in and were looking for some snacks, probably for a party. He scanned them and waved to them as they left.

It was getting late and that's what Luke hated. He hated the night shift, cause it was kind of like on Spongebob. It was freaky and scary, especially in a sketchy area. Thankfully, he had Calum around and it helped out. Calum would keep him company when he had to work late.

Suddenly, there was a small ding signalling someone walked in. Luke glanced up and saw a boy probably around eighteen walking in with a beanie on and a raggedy looking jacket. He was kind of cute and his attention was brought by a young woman paying for beer.

He checked I.D and eyes kept darting to where the boy was looking around, seeming shy. Luke rung up the beer and waved the lady off. However, he suddenly noticed the boy grabbing some pretzels and a water bottle, then running out of the store quickly in a flash.

Luke gaped, never having someone steal before. He hesitated, unsure of what to do. But, then he took off his apron and he groaned, telling Calum,"Hey, watch the store!"

"Wh-okay," Calum awkwardly glanced at the register and shrugged, walking over.

Luke huffed as he rushed out of the store, yelling at the guy,"Hey, get your ass back here! You need to pay for that!"

The boy halted, his eyes wide as he saw Luke running towards him. He frantically shoved the food in his pockets, seeming scared and he had every right to be. The stupid kid stole something that's only around two dollars. He didn't need to steal, it was really cheap.

But, Luke was so out of shape and surprised at how fast the boy was. He wondered if it was even worth it, but he didn't want to get fired. There are cameras in the store and he didn't feel like having to explain this. So, he picked up the pace and forced himself after the boy.

However, as the kid turned the corner, Luke slowed down. He panted and turned down the corner, seeing the street and then an alley nearby. Luke leaned against the corner, gripping his chest as he caught his breath. He slumped when noticing no one around except a small kitten that was crowded in a corner.

The kitten was cute and tiny, having familiar looking eyes. However, Luke just rolled his eyes and gave up. He headed back to the store, but kept looking back in confusion at where the boy had went. He knew it was possible that he just ran off, but still, he couldn't disappear that easily.

He tried not to think about it too much. Instead, he returned and saw Calum eating his crisps as usual. Luke rolled his eyes and he paid for the guy's food from before. He didn't appreciate being stolen from. But, he was responsible and so he gave in, paying just to get it over with.

-

The good thing about working in the store is that it was right near his house. So, he usually just walks to the building and lives in a small apartment place. Calum lives there as well and he left a little earlier, mainly because he as exhausted and Luke works until two am.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes, closing up the shop. He knew it was risky to work so late, but it was the money he cared about. Thankfully, he didn't have uni or anything to worry about. That's probably why his life is so boring, he has nothing to do and just deals with work and his friend.

He's not complaining, though. He did it to himself. He just wished he could find something exciting in his life. Maybe that's why he was so full of adrenaline when that guy tried robbing him. Well, tried and succeeded. Maybe he can just find a hobby or something.

As he headed home, he shivered as he tightened the jacket around himself, his lips chapped and the wind picking up. It was hard to live in such a cold place in Sydney. It wasn't like New York, but it was rather cold out. He felt his nose going red, that's how cold it was.

When he went passed the corner from earlier, he halted. Luke heard some rustling and frowned as he glanced at the alley. He saw a shadow and slowly walked over, timid with his steps. He didn't want to get beat up, but then he realized he probably wouldn't when he saw a familiar face.

It was the boy from before. He was sitting in the corner of the alley with his body shivering and the bag of pretzels from before. He kept looking at them, seeming unsure of how to open them. His raggedy jacket was gone and he just had on a beanie, sniffling and shivering.

Guilt filled Luke when realizing the poor boy must be homeless. He nervously chewed on his thumb, then walked over and asked quietly,"Hey, um a-are you alright?"

The small sound made the boy jump, looking at Luke with wide eyes. He timidly nodded and wrapped his arms around himself, curling into a small ball with his face buried in his arms. Luke furrowed his eyebrows, knowing he was obviously not okay at all.

Luke didn't know what to do. He was lost and just asked,"What's your name?"

There was no response, just eyes staring at him and he sighed deeply as he ran his hands through his hair. Usually if he saw a homeless person, he would just glance and walk by. He knew many were just drunks on the streets. However, not all are bad people. They just have bad luck.

Part of him wanted to help the boy, the other part kept seeing him as the boy who stole from the store. But, he saw how small he was and maybe he's just desperate. He licked his tongue across his lips and went to leave, but he couldn't. He walked back over and grabbed the water and crisps.

The boy gasped and whimpered, holding his hands out for the items. Luke felt his heart ache and he said,"C'mon, it's cold out. You can stay with me for the night, yeah?" He didn't say anything. "Um, can you please tell me your name? I know you probably hate talking, but please."

He shook his head and Luke reluctantly nodded. He saw the boy slowly stand and noticed his trembling figure. He didn't think twice before placing down the chips and drink, taking off his jacket and handing it over. Hazel eyes (what Luke figured to call him until he told his name) took it in confusion, frowning and went to hand it back. But, Luke didn't take it.

Hazel eyes sheepishly placed his arms in the jacket and Luke motioned him to follow as he picked up the crisps and water. The boy trailed behind with his head down and fiddling with the ends of his jacket. He smelled like gasoline, probably cause there are many gas stations nearby, and so Luke will need to definitely wash the jacket. But, he wasn't mad.

When they got home, Luke led him to the stairs and went to his apartment. He knew he would need to talk to Calum about this the next day, but for now he'll just let the boy stay the night. Maybe he has a home and just got lost or needs to talk to his parents.

As they entered the place, Hazel eyes looked around in surprise with bright eyes. He squeaked when Luke shut the door loudly, causing Luke to apologize. Luke kicked off his shoes and stretched, seeing it was really late. He wasn't sure what to say and really wanted to know his name.

However, he just took the boy's hand and hazel eyes jumped. He seemed easily scared. Luke assured,"I won't hurt you, yeah? Look at me, I can barely even walk without tripping." That made a small giggle leave the boy. "Alright, now do you want to take a shower?"

The boy seemed confused and Luke didn't know why. He just led the boy to the bathroom and when he turned on the shower, Hazel eyes shrieked and ran out of the room in a rush. Luke furrowed his eyes, turning off the water and saw the boy crowded himself near the door.

"Sorry, um, do you not like showers?" He shook his head quickly and Luke chuckled. "Alright, uhh. Well, maybe you can just wear some of my clothes, hm? We'll talk in the morning."

That made the boy relax a little and so, Luke went to the room and picked out some pajama pants that were stripped and then a white t-shirt. He wondered if boxers were too much. Considering how worn out the guy's close were, he decided it was just one pair and they were clean.

He returned and saw him looking at the toaster in the kitchen, seeming fascinated. He also was holding the bag of crisps that he was struggling to open before. Luke went over and took the bag. He opened them and the boy made a sound of happiness as he eagerly stuffed his face with the pretzels.

Luke laughed and let him eat while he snacked on an apple. Hazel eyes was staring at him and Luke felt a little self-conscious as he slowed down his eat, chewing awkwardly. But,then he saw the boy was done and probably confused on where to put the empty bag.

He laughed and pointed to the trash can. When e threw it out, Luke handed him the clothes and let him change in the bathroom. Luke then changed himself and he saw hazel eyes waiting for him with the clothes held to his chest, seeming unsure of what to do.

Luke took them and said,"Here, you can sleep in my bed." He then noticed the beanie and asked curiously,"Uh, don't you want to take that off?"

He shook his head, sheepishly pulling the beanie down more securely. Luke was suspicious, feeling uneasy about that. However, Hazel eyes simply hummed as he looked at the bed. Luke sighed and put the clothes in the basket, going to wash them water.

He pulled the blanket back and took two of the four pillows for himself. He patted the bed,"Here, I'll take the couch. In the morning, I think you should talk to me, okay? I can't do much if you don't talk to me."

The boy slowly nodded and crawled in the bed, seeming so small in it. He looked in awe while laying down. The bed was rather soft, so that was good. He figured the boy was so use to sleeping on the streets that he probably hasn't been in a proper bed for a while.

Luke went to the lamp and turned it off. He then heard the boy gasp and whimper, so he quickly turned it back on. Hazel eyes was looking rather scared, shaking his head. So, he paused and looked around. He saw a candle and took a lighter Calum left, lighting it so it was decently light.

When he turned off the light again, the boy looked semi-pleased and Luke chuckled. It was weird, like taking care of a child. The boy was probably a year younger or something, but not a child. Seventeen at the youngest. However, he seemed so pure and innocent. It was something Luke would need to find out in the morning.

As he left, he grabbed the door handle and said,"Good night."

And then he heard a soft, sweet voice say quietly,"A-Ashton."

Luke halted, turning and he saw the boy was smiling at him sweetly. It was a very small and barely noticeable smile considering how dark it was. But, it made him feel happy inside. He didn't expect the boy to talk to him, but he did and now he couldn't help, but grin.

"Good night, Ashton," he said simply and cracked the door.

When he got in the living room, he headed over to the couch that pulls out and stretched in his tanktop and basketball shorts. He glanced at the room frequently, seeing that Ashton wasn't asleep. He was tossing and turning, seeming unsure of how to fall asleep.

He could imagine it's hard to live from being on the streets so long. He didn't know how long, but at least a few months. Luke sighed and he felt a weight on his shoulders now. He laid down on the uncomfortable pull-out couch and fluffed his pillow, trying to get comfortable as well.

Both boys were having trouble sleeping that night for different reasons. Luke wanted an exciting life, but he really didn't expect this. Having a young boy in his bed while he's on the couch. However, he knew that Ashton wasn't just going to leave his life after this. All he knew was that his life was about to be flipped upside down.


	2. Chapter 2

When Luke woke up, he didn't remember bringing a boy into his house. So, he kind of just went in the kitchen and made some coffee to get himself ready for the day. He didn't have work, but he usually just hangs out with Calum. He and Calum would just play video games or go out, which Luke wasn't fond of.

Luke hummed quietly as he poured some sugar in his coffee and took a drink to see if it tasted good. He grimaced, adding more sugar and grinned at the perfect, refreshing taste. Luke stirred his spoon some more and went back into the living room to watched some TV.

As he waited for the commercial to be over, he grabbed his phone and texted Calum if he wanted to rent some DVDs. Much to his dismay, Calum had some date and Luke groaned. He pouted and asked if he could come over for a little bit. Calum texted he would be there in an hour.

So, Luke relaxed and stretched, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He's somehow still tired since last night and didn't know what to do. He got up and decided a shower would be nice. Luke did the dishes real quick and then headed towards the bathroom with a grumble under his breath.

However, once he washed his face, he nearly face-palmed when he realized he forgot that he brought that Ashton kid in. He quickly rinsed off his face and brushed his teeth. He figured the boy was still sleeping and wouldn't be mad that Luke forgot anyways. Still, he felt bad for just forgetting that.

The blonde headed to the bedroom and halted when he heard a loud banging sound. Almost like something dropped. He frantically rushed to the room and was confused when he didn't see anyone. Luke groaned as he noticed the picture of him and Calum when they were little shattered all over the ground. Luke picked it up with a small pout and he looked around in confusion. 

He didn't see Ashton anywhere, but he did know the guy was obviously in the room. He seemed like a little kid,so maybe he was under the bed. But, Luke didn't see him an he let out a huff of annoyance as he tossed the broken glass in the trash can by the bed.

When he turned, he did a double take and his eyes widened when he saw a kitten resembling the one he saw before. The kitten was laying on the bed with wide, brown-hazel eyes and staring right at Luke. The ears were pressed down as if the animal was scared and Luke was very confused.

"Uh," Luke rushed out of the room, looking out the bedroom door and called out,"Ashton? Are you here? Is this your cat?" He sighed and pressed his lips in a tight line. "Hello? Ashton!"

"Meow." Luke jumped and turned, seeing the kitten was trotting towards him with a cute expression. He grimaced, not a fan of kittens and the animal shyly sat down, licking it's paw. "Meow."

Luke groaned as he sat down next to the animal, nervously reaching it's hand out. He lightly petted the creature and grumbled,"That stupid Ashton kid left it's dumb animal with me? I should have known not to let him stay here." The kitten whimpered and Luke frowned,"Sorry. I think my friend Calum might like you. He loves cats."

He got up and saw the kitten following him to the kitchen. Luke had no idea what to give the animal. He looked around, then shrugged and got some milk from the refrigerator. He poured it in a small bowl and placed it down. The kitten looked at him and he raised an eyebrow, motioning for the animal to drink the milk.

The kitten stuck it's little tongue out and licked some of the milk. Once seeing that the kitten was 'fed', he went into the bathroom to shower and texted Calum that he needed him here asap. Luke didn't know what the hell he was going to do. There's a random cat in his house, he can't keep it.

He groaned and stripped down, getting into the shower that was nice and steamy. Luke washed up and grumbled as he tried figuring out what to do. What if the cat has rabies? He might die or something. Or maybe he won't. He had no idea what kind of diseases stray cats might have. He knew it was a stray cat considering he saw it in the alley.

Luke got out of the shower and he groaned when seeing he forgot to bring clothes. Luke grabbed a towel and ruffled his hair as he walked out of the bathroom naked. However, he let out a scream when he saw Ashton sitting on the couch with boxers and a beanie on, staring at him and his naked body as if it was the most normal thing ever.

The blonde quickly wrapped a towel around his waist, blushing fiercely. He hesitated and asked,"Where the hell have you been?! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Ashton said nothing and just shyly smiled, looking at Luke's legs. Luke groaned and angrily stomped into his room. He was so confused. Where was the kitten now? Still drinking milk? Luke ruffled in his closet for some clothes and he rolled his eyes as he heard the TV turn on and a loud shriek as it was blasting MTV.

After he changed into some skinny jeans and a flannel, he went back into the living room. He did not enjoy showing off his naked body in front of strangers. And, he really needed to talk to Ashton. The guy randomly keeps disappearing and it was creeping him out a little.A sigh left his lips when once again, he couldn't find the boy. 

He looked around and winced at how loud the TV was. Luke saw the kitten was under the coffee tabling, whining and meowing constantly as it was shaking a little. He remembered cats and dogs can hear things, like five times louder than humans.

Luke felt bad and he turned down the sound, then decided to just turn off the TV. However, as he turned, he gasped as he saw...Ashton? Laying under the table, curled in a small ball and pouting. Luke's eyes widened as he exclaimed,"What the--what the hell? Did yo--did I -- I ..."

"L-Loud," Ashton whimpered. The boy was covering his ears when Luke accidentally turned the TV back on. 

He quickly turned it off and Ashton slowly crawled from under the table, looking at Luke with big, hazel eyes. The same eyes as the kitten and Luke finally put the pieces together, heart nearly dropping as he realized Ashton was the kitten.

The blonde looked at Ashton with curious eyes and he licked his lips nervously. He chuckled in disbelief, feeling crazy as he sat down,"Oh, um. Okay. So, yo-you're a hybrid. Makes perfect sense." Ashton kept staring at him. "Do you um, have those ears? Is that why you're wearing a beanie?"Ashton blinked."Fine, don't talk to me." 

Luke groaned as he dropped his face in his hands. "You know what? I --I think I need some air. I feel really confused and stressed right now. Just, um, stay here?" Ashton watched as Luke headed to where a balcony was and he tried following. But, Luke glared,"I said stay."

The boy frowned, but slowly backed away and Luke felt bad for snapping. But, he's frustrated. He shut the door behind him and Luke sighed as he leaned against the railing of the balcony. He looked from where he was on the third story and saw how dark the skies were. He ran a hand through his quiff with a small huff.

He has a cat-boy thing in his house. He never thought that day would come. He didn't even know things like this existed. However, he also wasn't that surprised. It was like this was normal to him. He didn't feel scared of the...guy. He just felt frustrated that he didn't realize this earlier and felt dumb.

He glanced out the glass door and saw Ashton was probably in the kitchen. Luke tugged lightly on his lip ring, wondering how he got like that. He apparently turns into a kitten. As cool as that sounded, it was weird. He wouldn't be able to live like that, he wondered how Ashton dealt with it or if he was just born that way.

After a moment, he heard a loud clang and a hissing sound. Luke grimaced and decided to go back inside. He opened the door and looked around in confusion. He saw the kitten was hissing at the bowl of milk that toppled over from where it was probably placed on the counter.

When Luke grabbed the bowl, he did a double take as he watched the tiny little kitten move behind the island in the middle of the kitchen, then Ashton crawl from behind with a scared look on his face. Luke gulped and tried not to freak out. He just had a tight smile on his face and stood up, holding a hand out for Ashton to take.

At first, Ashton just stared at it and then he shakily placed his hand in Luke's. Luke pulled him up and was taken by surprise as Ashton clinged to him with a shaky breath. His bare chest was warm and Luke felt awkward as he tried hugging back. But, having a basically naked boy hold onto you isn't exactly comfortable.

"Err, it's just milk, Ashton." He tried soothing and heard the boy whimper. Luke slowly patted his head and sighed deeply. "Um, why don't you take a shower? No offense, but you don't smell amazing." Ashton looked sheepish as he pulled away and Luke quickly added,"Just cause you were in an alley. That's all."

Ashton nodded slowly and he allowed Luke to lead him over to he bathroom. However, he forgot that Ashton was scared of showers and when he turned it on, Ashton shrieked with a jump. He then turned it off and Ashton pouted. Luke turned on the bath water instead and he seemed a little more comfortable.

"Alright, so uh. The shampoo is here and the body wash is here. If you want to use conditioner, here's some," Luke grabbed a bottle from under the sink and handed it to Ashton. The boy looked confused and Luke awkwardly cleared his throat,"Yeah. So, I'll just give you some privacy."

He went to step out of the bathroom, then halted when he saw Ashton pull his boxers down. His eyes went right to a certain area and he was surprised. He darted his eyes to where Ashton pulled off his beanie and cringed when he saw two kitten ears poking out of his curly hair.

Realizing he's been staring, Luke quickly left as Ashton tipped a toe in the water and he shut the door quietly behind him. Luke was blushing like an idiot and he didn't know why. He sighed and went into the living room, not knowing how he's suppose to react to a kitten boy being in his house.

The only person who ever stayed with him was Calum and that's only when he's hungover. He didn't know how long Ashton was staying. Nor did he know if Ashton would be staying long at all. He had no information on the guy aside from his name and that he was like half-kitten.

Luke knew he needed to do something, though. He just didn't know what. The boy wouldn't speak and he needed to get him to say something. What if he has a family and he just got lost? Luke frowned and knew right away that the best person to help with that would be Calum. So, he texted the boy and waited for him to arrive. He needed to do something and fast.

-

It took longer than Luke was hoping for. Calum had to go do some useless shit and he was taking forever. So, Luke and Ashton were just sitting on the couch and Ashton luckily didn't put a beanie on. His curls were a mess, though. And, he kept a distance between him and Luke.

He was laying on the couch, curled up in a small ball and Luke put on Monsters Inc. considering it was cute and innocent. He didn't know what Ashton knew, so he was afraid to put something on that was too dirty for him. Something that was sexual and might make Ashton ask some questions he didn't want to answer.

That's why he wanted to ask Calum for help. He didn't want to scar the poor boy and Ashton seemed happy to watch Monsters Inc. as Luke just kept texting Calum and asking where the fuck he was. Cause, Luke was anxious to do something and he didn't know what the hell he needed to do for this guy.

Finally, after a rather long wait, he heard a knock at the door. Ashton jumped and he looked scared. Luke gave him a comforting smile and went over to the door. He looked in the peephole and was relieved when he saw Calum waiting there with an impatient look on his face.

When he opened the door, Calum rushed in and he said with disbelief,"I have a date tonight, Luke! What the hell is so important that you made me rush over?"

"This," Luke pointed to Ashton, only for him to groan as it was the kitten version of the boy.

Calum raised an eyebrow,"You bought a kitty? Cool. Now, I need to go."

"No, it's Ashton!" Luke exclaimed, sighing in annoyance as he walked over to the kitten. Ashton meowed and Luke petted the little kitten, telling him softly,"It's okay, Calum is nice. Now, can you please turn back into your usual self? I promise he won't hurt you, he's a good guy."

When Ashton didn't change back, Calum snorted. "Are you mentally insane? Should I worry?"

"No! I swear, he's a kitten boy thing." Luke whined as he tried following out of the house and grabbed his arm,"Calum, I'm not crazy. He's a human and a cat!"

Before Calum could argue, there was a small bang and they turned to see Ashton whimpering as he rubbed his head and the remote fell to the ground. A smirk formed on Luke's face as he looked at Calum with a 'told you so' expression. Calum slowly walked inside, shutting the door behind him.

Luke didn't blame him for being so in awe. It wasn't everyday you see a boy with kitten ears on his head. Calum gulped and he went to poke one, but Ashton hissed at him and scrambled back. Luke smacked Calum in the back of his head and Calum glared, but he retreating a few steps back to not scare the guy.

He then nodded,"He's a hybrid." Luke looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, so Calum explained as he stared at Ashton,"He's...well, a hybrid is like a mix of a human and animal. He seemed to be mixed with a cat, obviously. I saw something about it in a magazine. They're not very common and lots of people don't like them."

"Why? He's so shy and helpless," Luke said, not in a rude way, more in a pitiful voice.

Calum shrugged, cause he honestly didn't know. He tugged his bottom lip between his teeth and suddenly crouched down. As he did so, Ashton cringed in on himself and looked frightened. Almost like he was about to transform into a kitten.

However, Calum soothed,"Hey, it's okay. I'm your friend." Ashton didn't seem to believe him and Calum smiled to show he's not a mean person. "My name is Calum. I promise, I won't hurt you. Can you say your name?"

Ashton shook his head.

"C'mon, you said it before," Luke frowned and crouched down as well. 

However, Ashton just stood his ground and shook his head again. Luke glanced at Calum and they both frowned. However, they nodded and decided to just let him be. The two stood up and Ashton watched them hesitantly.

Ashton was self-conscious as he saw them move. They both sat down as Ashton hesitantly stood up and went to the couch. He laid down and Luke chewed on his bottom lip nervously, watching him snuggle one of the throw pillows. He couldn't help, but feel sorry for the small boy. He looked so lost and sad.

As Calum texted his date, him and Luke went into the kitchen. Luke grabbed a cup and poured some tea in it. He handed it to Calum, then made his own and the two sat down. Luke kept his eyes on Ashton, almost like he was afraid something would happen. And, Calum looked a little amused.

Luke paid no mind to that and just mumbled,"I have no idea what I'm suppose to do."

"Has he said anything to you?" Calum asked.

"I heard they never learn to talk. Has he spoken before?"Luke shook his head,"Said his name and that's it. And he said 'loud' cause the music on the TV was loud. But, that's about all. How do I get him to speak?"

"I don't know, teach him some words. Sort of like what parents do to their babies. Just, have him repeat what you say," Calum suggested and got up with a frown after he checked his phone. "I gotta go, Luke. My date is gonna be so pissed off. I just met him the other day, I don't wanna ruin this."

As he went to leave, Luke shot up and he rushed after,"Wait, no! I don't -- I don't know what to do with him! Please, Calum. I'm so lost, just reschedule!"

"You'll be fine. Talk to him and give him food -- that's all someone needs," Calum replied loudly as he ran down the steps and soon, he was out of the building, leaving Luke all alone with Ashton.

The blonde sighed deeply and he reluctantly shut the door. He turned, seeing Ashton sitting down on the floor with a pout on his face. Luke walked passed him and he sat down, dropping his face in his hands. He let out a small groan and rubbed his eyes, wishing Calum would have stayed.

It's not like he hates Ashton, he doesn't know him. He just wanted to know the guy more. However, Ashton won't speak to him and was a little stubborn. He knew he was probably just scared. Ashton always seems so scared. But, Luke has been very nice and Ashton shouldn't be afraid of him.

He looked up and saw Ashton looking at the TV in awe as a commercial with cat food on it was playing. Luke snorted and Ashton turned to him. Luke gave him a small wave and Ashton blinked. He hesitated, then copied the way. For some reason, that made Luke smile and he chuckled lightly.

Ashton walked over and he slowly sat down next to Luke. He seemed to be thinking about something and then Ashton lightly placed a hand on Luke's hair. Luke was amused as the boy tried petting him. Almost reminding Luke of Tarzan when he learned how to be human. And, that's when an idea came to mind.

"My name is Luke," Luke told him softly, and sadly, Ashton just giggled.

He tried again and again. He repeated the words louder, then slower and softer. Nothing worked and Ashton just kept giggling and poking Luke's face. Luke sighed and he knew this would definitely take some time to teach the boy. However, it didn't seem like it would be a pain in the ass.

If anything, from the way Ashton was acting, it might even be fun. Because, Ashton was smiling and warming up to Luke already. And as they watched TV, Ashton would have this adoring expression on his face. However, Luke wasn't sure how this was going to work out and he hoped Ashton would tell him why he was out on his own eventually.


	3. Chapter 3

It was hard for Luke to understand what he's suppose to do. First of all, he had no idea who Ashton really was. Obviously, he's a hybrid and for some reason it seemed completely weird to Luke despite the fact that it's normal. Hybrids were known, but not always appreciated.

All hybrids are mysteries and have different stories. Some are made with experiments in labs. That's basically how they started. A female would be pregnant and willing to have a hybrid, so they would take medication or have a shot of some sort. This would lead her to have a dog or cat hybrid.

Now, other times, depending on if the hybrid is a girl or boy, they're naturally born. It's only possible of the girl is a hybrid, or else they're usually just born normal. The natural way isn't even that naturally considering the hybrids are made from experiments in the start. But, still. It's all science, in the end.

The only problem is hybrids are mostly not accepted. Only about 3% of the population are hybrids from what people know. Luke wasn't sure how to go about that. He knew Ashton wore his beanie to hide it, meaning he was afraid to be hurt and most likely captured and also experimented on. Only, it would be in a bad way.

There have been many crimes and cases of people kidnapping and taking hybrids. For some reason, despite just meeting Ashton, Luke felt the urge to protect him. Maybe he's just a good person and wants to protect everyone. But, Ashton is so sweet and didn't deserve to be scared or hurt.

What was hard for Luke to comprehend is how to get Ashton to speak. He hasn't said anything so far and it was aggravating. The boy is barely ever talking. It's only been a day, but Luke has been trying hard to get Ashton to mutter something -- anything to help Luke know what he wants.

Calum has said to just have him repeat things, but Ashton is stubborn and won't try. He's always just giggling or sad or shy. He would instantly go into a kitten mode if Luke raises his voice. It meant that he was scared and Luke feels bad. He never meant to frighten the guy.

Luke is just a really short-tempered person and that doesn't help in this case. He's done a lot of 3AM research on his phone the previous night to see if he is able to find any information on what he should do. So far, nothing online was helping and he was afraid to feed or give Ashton something that might hurt him.

As of now, Luke had to go to work and he didn't know what to do. The place he worked at is a little risky to bring a hybrid. However, Calum wasn't answering his phone. He didn't work the previous day since he was off and now he also was afraid to leave Ashton alone.

Is he even meant to keep Ashton in the house? This kid was a complete stranger and Luke is just letting him stay. He wasn't sure that was the smartest move. He knew his mum wouldn't approve of him letting a stranger sleep on his couch. Ashton is an adult from what he can tell and it didn't seem right for him to be staying with another guy he doesn't know.

Luke sighed and he went to his room, leaving Ashton to watch the Lion King. The blonde ran a hand through his quiff, looking around for something more appropriate to wear to work. He had on some sweatpants and figured it would be best to wear something he won't have a reason to be fired for.

He had a t-shirt he has to wear, but he always just wore jeans since it's not like his boss would care. After making sure his hair looks okay, he grinned and smoothed out the ugly blue shirt. It was a button-up and polo one that looked like complete shit on him. But, he didn't really care.

The blonde saw work started in ten minutes and it was about a five minute walk. So, he hesitated and returned to the living room. He went to speak and ask Ashton if he wanted to come to work or stay. But, his eyes widened when he saw Ashton crying with tears falling and small sniffles leaving his lips.

Luke rushed over, asking frantically as he crouched next to him,"What's wrong? Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" Ashton was sobbing and Luke's blue eyes went wide as he hesitated, soothingly brushing his hair out of his face,"Ashton, why are you crying?"

"D-Dead," Ashton bawled out, rubbing his damp eyes and Luke was confused.

He asked softly,"Who? Whos' dead?"

"Moo--Moofusa?" Ashton whimpered, pointing to the TV and Luke groaned as he stood up. Ashton wiped his teary eyes and curled in a small ball, still sniffling.

It's not that Luke didn't find it sad. The Lion King was just one of those movies he always got emotional over. However, he thought something really bad happened. Maybe he should just not expect the worst. But, when you see someone balling their eyes out, you usually assume something serious had happened.

Luke assured the upset boy,"It's just a movie, he's not real." Ashton's ears pressed down in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing as he tilted his head. Luke found that cute, but decided not to think about it. "It's a cartoon."

Ashton frowned,"C-Car...toon?"

"Like, a show? A movie? I can't explain it. It's just something you watch and they're not real, so no one is dead," Luke waved in dismissal and checked the time with a grumble. "Anyways, I have to go to work. Do you want to come with or stay here?"

It seemed like Ashton was also confused about what he meant there as well, but he just hopped up and stumbled to the door with a grin on his face. Luke's eyes glanced down to Ashton's feet that were bare and he remembered Ashton wasn't wearing shoes when he found him.

He looked at Ashton's feet, then at his own and instantly knew they had different shoe sizes. Luke groaned and rushed to his room. He didn't know if he had any extra shoes. Maybe Calum left a pair. He had bigger feet than Luke. However, he pouted when he saw the guy probably brought them home before.

After just grabbing some thongs, he returned and saw Ashton was staring at the microwave with a curious expression. Luke slowly approached him, seeing the kitten poking the object. Ashton giggled as he pressed he buttons, then shrieked when it beeped and scrambled back.

Luke quickly assured,"It's okay, it's suppose to do that." Ashton looked at him with feared eyes and Luke smiled as he explained,"You put food in it and it warms it up."

Ashton nodded slowly and Luke dropped the thongs on the floor, motioning for Ashton to put them on. Ashton timidly slipped his feet in them and they fit him decently. The boy wiggled his toes and smiled. They headed to the door and Luke grabbed a beanie and jacket.

He handed them to Ashton and said,"Put these on, it's...cold."

It actually wasn't, but maybe if he said it Ashton might believe it. Ashton just nodded, taking the beanie and tugging it on. He winced as his ears pressed down and frowned. But, then slipped on the jacket with the help of Luke. Luke put on his own, then they headed out.

When they went outside, Ashton flinched at the wind and Luke wrapped an arm around him. He knew he shouldn't be too affectionate, but Ashton looked scared as he walked with him. So, he tried to keep him from the road. Ashton was clinging onto his arm and it made Luke feel weird considering they just met.

However, they went to the store and Luke entered. He had Ashton go look at some candy and grin when seeing the other worker was relieved. After sorting everything out, Luke waved goodbye and he took over. He saw Ashton curiously poking some things and shivering when he opened some freezers. 

When he saw Ashton opening the freezers, he tensed. The boy took something out with a curious gaze and Luke panicked, not wanting him to mess with anything. No doubt in his mind Ashton will drop something. Not that he doesn't trust the boy, but honestly, it was obvious.

Luke whistled loudly and said,"Ashton, c'mere!"

The boy instantly jumped from the freezer and looked like he just got in trouble. He quickly put what he had back and acted like he never touched it. He timidly moved towards Luke and had his face full of worry. Luke felt bad for making him scared, but it was better than him getting fired. 

Luke made sure no one was coming in and tugged Ashton behind the counter. "Don't touch anything, okay? I don't have the money to buy a bunch of shit here."

Of course, the warning didn't work. Because, only five minutes later Ashton had dropped a stand that held bags of crisps and had tears in his eyes when Luke yelled 'Ashton!' and well, Ashton was like a wounded puppy and hid in the corner of the store.

After Luke had cleaned up the mess, he sighed and went to the boy. Ashton whimpered and hid his face in his hands. But, then Luke took his hand and led him back to the counter, reluctantly going to his last option. He took out his phone and handed it to Ashton. 

"Here, play with this." He went to a game app and shrugged, choosing Flappy Bird. Ashton looked like he saw God as his eyes lit up at he pretty colors. Luke explained as he showed Ashton how to play,"You just tap the screen and try to make the bird go through the little open areas, okay? Try."

Ashton grinned, happily poking the screen all wrong and then gaped as he 'died'. He whimpered and shook his head,"Why?"

"Oh, poor bird. Why don't you try again?" Luke offered with a fake frown. He patted Ashton's shoulder and pointed to the floor,"Sit down there, okay? Try to be quiet and don't make a sound."

With that said, Ashton eagerly sat criss-cross on the floor and began playing Flappy Bird. Luke didn't want to manipulate his kind attitude and innocence. He just didn't want to get in trouble and risk his boss surprising them at work. Sometimes he does that and it's easier to hide Ashton than explain why he was there.

Besides, work is just for a couple hours and he needed to keep Ashton occupied. It was working and Ashton kept pouting whenever he lost, which was a lot. He's not use to video games, obviously, so he was really bad at working with the technology. But, it was kind of cute.

However, a lady soon walked in and Luke was hoping Ashton would be quiet. She got some cigarettes and a packet of M&M's. After he put them in a bag, she handed him some money. Much to Luke's dismay, Ashton began hissing and Luke's eyes widened as the lady looked at him in confusion.

He assured,"Sorry, it must be the cash register. It makes weird noises." He started pressing random buttons and laughed awkwardly,"Stupid thing!"

The lady looked at him like he was crazy and he sighed in relief as she just walked out. Luke glared at Ashton, who was still hissing and he lightly nudged the boy with his foot. "Oi, stop it! You're suppose to be quiet."

Ashton whined and looked near to tears as he held up the phone with a pout. Luke took it and saw that Calum texted, apologizing for not replying. He said his phone died, but Luke knew that was a bunch of crap. His date probably escalated into something more.

After replying with a middle finger emoji, he returned the phone and Ashton's face was full of grins now. Well, one grin that was dimpled and all. Luke went back to work and it was really boring. He usually has Calum around, but the guy was obviously too busy with his hangover, most likely.

The day was boring and Luke wanted to just take Ashton and go home. He saw Ashton was easily intrigued by the game and seemed to love it. He knew he would be addicted and just chuckled lightly to himself. It was a game that's easy to get addicted to, that's for sure.

Another customer came in and soon, work was back on track. Ashton kept quiet and every time he did when a customer came in, Luke decided to give him a sour patch kid. Ashton seemed to like them and so, that was their routine. He's like a trained animal, but something more.

-

"F-Flap!"

Luke looked down, seeing Ashton whining as he kept trying to touch the screen. They were finally closing up and Luke was exhausted. Despite just standing around and doing nothing, sometimes it tires him out. He wasn't sure why. Sort of like school tired him out as well even if he just sat down on his ass all day.

The blonde crouched down and saw the screen was giving a warning say 'Low Battery 10% of battery remaining'. He hesitated, taking the phone and pocketing it since he didn't want it dying. However, Ashton made a sound of complaint and looked at him with a frown.

"Sorry, it's dying," Luke said with a sympathetic looking and grabbed the keys to the shop.

When he went to turn off the lights, Ashton gasped in horror,"D-Dying?!"

"No! Not like that, it's -- it just needs to charge." Ashton was trailing behind him with a whimper and Luke sighed, turning off the lights and Ashton instantly clung to him as the room went dark. Luke winced, feeling the boy's nails digging in his arm and said,"Calm down! Ugh, we're going outside, okay? Just breathe."

His harsh tone made Ashton retreat quickly and Luke felt guilty. However, he just kept quiet and went outside. Ashton followed with his head down and Luke locked the door, stuffing his phone in his pocket. He looked around and realized they haven't eaten and it was ten pm.

Deciding they should go to Maccas real quick, he started walking the opposite direction of home. Ashton was confused, rushing next to him and Luke smiled weakly. He didn't know why, but he was just a little annoyed. He's not use to being around someone so much, but Ashton was nice and he didn't want to yell at him again.

Despite his phone nearly dying, he knew they would just pick up their food and eat it at home. He wondered if Ashton even liked meat. Do cats like meat? Well, Ashton isn't a cat. However, he's part kitten and does hiss, hate water and purr. So, he figured he had some qualities of a cat.

As they went to the corner, they had to cross the street and Luke felt a nudge. He saw Ashton timidly holding out his hand and chuckled. He took it with a shrug and Ashton cuddled close as they crossed the street. He felt like he was watching a little kid, but Ashton wasn't a kid. He was six foot and may be shorter, but he was probably older or the same age.

Ashton shrieked when a car was turning the corner and Luke winced at how loud the sound was. But, he simply sighed and followed Ashton to the corner. They arrived the McDonald's and Ashton was timid as Luke opened the door for him. It wasn't that busy since most people take the drive-thrus nowadays.

Luke asked as they headed to the short line,"Do you want chicken nuggets?"

He didn't know what that was, so Luke pointed to the picture and Ashton shrugged. It was annoying that he hasn't talked. He just says one word every few hours and Luke grumbled under his breath. He went to the front of the line once it moved and ordered a twenty piece chicken nugget meal they'll just share.

Money was tight at the moment and he never planned to feed another mouth, so he was lost with what to do. He also got a soda (sprite) and then thanked the lady. He told her his name and then went over to where Ashton seemed to be looking at the toys that are in kids meals.

There were little Minion toys and Ashton pointed to one with a confused look. Luke explained, wrapping an arm around Ashton's shoulder casually,"They're minions. They are from the movie that's out now. I haven't seen it yet, but my co-worker told me it's funny, so I'm looking forward to seeing it one day. Maybe you can come with me."

Ashton nodded eagerly and then shivered as the doors to McDonald's opened. A person walked in and Luke saw how cold Ashton looked. It wasn't even that cold out, but the boy was wearing thongs and the pants were rolled up a little since Ashton's legs are shorter than Luke's.

"Maybe we should go shopping one day," Luke said with a sigh, but knew he didn't have any money. "I don't know how long you'll be staying with me. But, I figure it'll be a while."

A sheepish expression covered his face as he nervously looked down. Luke's name was called and he thanked the lady, taking the food and headed out with Ashton. Ashton grabbed his hand quickly, not wanting to get lost and they headed out with a hum leaving Luke's lips.

On the way home, Luke was a little confused. He wasn't sure what to do. Like said before, he doesn't know Ashton and it was dangerous to be so caught up with a stranger. He wasn't sure if Ashton was ever going to talk to him either. And, he doesn't really have the money to have Ashton live with him.

Ashton seemed rather happy, though. He was skipping around and swinging his and Luke's hands that were held. Luke was fond of the boy, growing more close despite just knowing him for about three days. It was like Ashton just made him a little happy and feel less lonely.

When they got home, Ashton kicked off the thongs and he sat down on the couch, waiting for the food. However, Luke nodded to the table in the kitchen. Ashton pouted, but did as told and whipped his beanie off his head with a happy expression, his kitten ears poking up instantly and Luke smiled a little.

He followed the boy in the kitchen and got out some plates. He sat one day in front of Ashton and sat next to him. He gave Ashton ten and Ashton thanked him with a smile. Luke opened some sweet & sour packets, placing it down. Ashton took a bite of his chicken nuggets and grinned.

He gave Luke a thumbs ups, then furrowed his eyebrows when he looked at the sweet & sour sauce. Luke told him,"This is sweet & sour sauce." Ashton nodded, but then Luke demanded,"Say it." Ashton hesitated, but then Luke didn't think twice and took away his food. "You can't eat till you repeat what I said."

A strained expression showed on Ashton's face as he looked at the food. He nervously mumbled,"S-Sweet and s-sour."

"See? You can talk!" Luke said proudly and returned the food, much to Ashton's joy. Luke gave Ashton a sweet & sour sauce, to which the boy picked it up and sniffed it. Luke chuckled, but then grimaced when Ashton let his tongue poke in. The boy's face scrunched up and Luke insisted,"No, don't eat it like that. Just dip it in."

Ashton copied what Ashton did and said questioningly,"D-Dip?"

"Yep, dip," Luke said and finished a couple more. "Now, I know you're shy and stuff, but we really need to work on you speaking more. I need to know about you more. I--I mean, you seem nice, but where are you from? Why are you here? Do you have a family?"

Ashton blinked.

A groan left Luke's lips and he rubbed his face in frustration. He didn't know how he was suppose to get to Ashton. The guy was so confused and lost all the time. He obviously has something going on, why else was he in the alley? It's not like he always lived there.

However, he wasn't speaking and Luke grumbled as he got up. He took his plate and put it in the sink. He leaned against the doorframe and saw Ashton was quietly eating, getting sweet & sour sauce everywhere. His legs were crossed on the chair and the silly position was endearing.

When Ashton was done, he looked up and hesitated. He held out the plate for Luke and Luke took it from him. He felt like a father or something. Because, when he was done, he saw Ashton laying in the living room and had to go get his pajamas. He glanced back once more and just went in the room.

He figured he would shower in the morning and just changed into some basketball shorts and a tanktop. He grabbed his plaid pajama pants then a band shirt from his Linkin Park concert. He went in the living room and saw Ashton was staring at the TV with a frown.

When Ashton saw Luke walking in the room, he got up and scrambled over, nearly falling on the ground. Ashton grabbed his arm and pointed to the TV. Luke was confused, but saw Ashton had been watching the news. It was about a girl going missing and Ashton didn't seem to understand what it meant.

"Oh, um. She's lost. People are looking for her because no one knows where she is." Ashton slowly took it what he said and then seemed unsure of how to ask what he wanted. Luke sighed and said,"Ashton, if you want me to answer a question,you need to ask it. Please, use your words."

Ashton tensed, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly. He was struggling, but managed to ask in a stutter,"W-Where she goes?"

"Where did she go?" Ashton nodded quickly and Luke shrugged, handing the pajamas. "I have no idea, that's why she's missing. People are usually lost or someone takes them."

"W-Where?"

"I don't know. Sometimes people just runaway," Luke tried explaining. "They go to bus stations, some go to the park, some just do what they would do when they were kids. They just -- I don't know. Maybe some even go to the zoo." Luke chuckled weakly,"I mean,I would probably go to the zoo."

A frown formed on Ashton's face and Luke patted his shoulder. He wished he could tell him more, but Ashton will likely forget the conversation in the morning. He didn't get why Ashton was so intrigued with the missing reports. But, he somehow was interested in a microwave anyways.

While Ashton was changing, Luke went into the hallway closet to get some more blankets. He knew Ashton would ask to sleep on the couch again, but Luke felt like he deserved the bed. He returned into the living room and laid out the blankets to make a nice and more comfortable place for himself to sleep.

After he was done, he saw Ashton sitting with a sad face and wanted to ask why. But, Ashton was just staring at the TV where they were talking about the leads on the missing girl. It's not like Luke didn't care where the girl was, it's just that he had nothing he could do to help and would rather not feel guilty about it.

He went to do the dishes and then yawned as he finished up. He wiped down the counter and felt like a proper parent. He was still lost on how he was going to let Ashton stay with him. Maybe he can get more information out and find out where he is suppose to be living. There's no way he was just roaming the streets. He had to live somewhere.

But, then he returned into the living room again and rolled his eyes when he saw Ashton was sleeping on the couch, but in kitten form. He probably shape-shifted to sleep better and Luke felt a little awkward. It was going to take some getting use to. It's not everyday someone you meet turns into a kitten.

Luke hesitated, then picked up the kitten Ashton and blushed a little when Ashton squirmed around and purred slightly. He cleared his throat, carrying the small boy to the bed and laid him on the pillow. He wondered if Ashton wanted a blanket while he was a kitten and figured maybe not.

When Luke returned to the living room, he laid on the couch and stared at the ceiling once comfortable. Then he asked himself mentally, why the fuck he was letting Ashton, who was only a few inches long sleep in his entire queen sized bed while he's stuck on the couch. 

But, then he remembered those hazel eyes and found himself smiling. Because, even if he's going to have a bad back problem, it was most likely worth it. He then was drifting and falling asleep, not really caring if he got a kink in his neck since Ashton was at least comfortable.


	4. Chapter 4

Because Ashton is smaller than Luke, the boy was wondering how that would work. He knew Ashton was just a little smaller, nothing drastic, but their legs had a huge difference. Ashton's were short and more thick while Luke's were long and thin, so pants were the biggest problem.

Not to mention, Luke had huge and broad shoulders while Ashton was just a normal length apart. This made shirts dangle off the boy's body and it was complicated to find anything that truly fit him. Luke didn't have any clothes that truly covered his body except tanktops, but Ashton didn't like them since he felt 'naked'.

It was weird because Ashton has also just been talking more. He's not literate nor is he able to stop stuttering and stumbling over his words, but he's trying. Luke was trying to help him speak, but Ashton is stubborn and just giggly and stares at him instead. He doesn't seem to want to talk in general.

However, Luke needs him to talk. If he didn't speak, Luke wouldn't know what to do or how to handle the situation sometimes. Because, Ashton doesn't tell him anything. He just gives these looks that say yes or no. He needed more than that and if Ashton is going to be a part of his life, he needed words spoken.

It was a couple days later and Ashton has been going to work with Luke. They have only ever stayed inside and Luke was trying to get money to get Ashton some clothes. He was struggling with money on his own, so this was a bigger problem than it should have been and he didn't know why he even bothered to buy clothes for a stranger.

But, he did care for Ashton. He was confused with who Ashton even was and whenever he tried to ask about family or where he's from, Ashton just blinks at him with his kitten eyes and then he runs off in kitten form and hides in the closet. Luke would change the subject just cause he didn't like upsetting people in general, let alone sweet boys like Ashton.

However, the day has come and Luke needed more from this. If he's going to go and buy Ashton clothes,he needed to know who Ashton was and more about him. He didn't even know if he could financially care for another person. Ashton is going to be a hassle and he felt like he was a parent to a little boy, but Ashton is obviously an adult.

Luke has been meaning to have Calum come over so they could discuss this, but Calum sort of went AWOL since Ashton arrived and he didn't blame the boy. He's been so busy with Ashton that he nearly forgets about Calum sometimes. But, it's really not his fault considering Ashton stumbled into his life.

He sighed and walked out of his room with his wallet. He heard Ashton still splashing around in the bath and shook his head, going to the kitchen. He went through his money and sprawled it across the table with a frown. He's lucky the bills are already paid this month, or else Ashton would need to stick with clothes that were too big.

When he looked at the money, it didn't seem like much. But, he counted and had around five hundred dollars. Was he really going to spend all this money on someone he just met? He wasn't quite sure. Maybe he can get himself a pair of jeans, but that seemed like a waste since he would just buy another of the same pair.

Suddenly, there was a voice calling,"L-Luke?! Help!"

Luke's eyes widened and he frantically dropped his money, rushing to the bathroom. Maybe he was thinking the worst things that could be happening, but Ashton is fragile and he gets hurt easily. So, all caution was out the window and he opened the door, seeing Ashton sitting in a bubble bath.

"What's wrong?" He asked in worry, staring at the boy in case he had any bleeding or was dying or hurt in any way.

However, Ashton just pouted and splashed around,"W-Water out. Need out."

A look of disbelief showed on Luke's face and he mentally groaned. But, he crouched on his knees and paused. He can't stick his hand in the water where Ashton is naked, isn't that weird? Then again, Ashton was oblivious to anything considered weird. He wouldn't even understand.

So, Luke stuck his hand in the water and he pulled the plug. The water began draining and Ashton shrieked,"N-No! Gonna get sucked in! Help!"

"You're naked, Ashton," Luke reminded, but then saw Ashton whimpering as the water moved down the drain.

Pushing all appropriate and respectful thoughts aside, Luke grabbed a towel and helped Ashton out of the tub. He tried keeping his eyes on Ashton's face as he quickly wrapped the towel around his lower body. Ashton clinged onto him as he stared at the drain and then shrieked and Luke tried not to freak out when the boy suddenly transformed to a kitten.

He needs to get use to this.

Luke crouched down and took the towel, ruffling Ashton and trying to dry him off. Ashton meowed and shivered with his cold fur, shaking it to dry off. He picked Ashton up and carried him to the bedroom, allowing Ashton to roll around on the bed and get cozy on the pillow despite it getting damp from the fur.

The blonde kept an eye on him and went through his drawers to find some clothes to wear. He saw a pair of sweatpants and figured these would work since he can tighten to string. He then got a tanktop and turned, seeing Ashton sitting on the bed with boxers on and now he was normal and had boxers on.

"This is still freaky," Luke mumbled, handing the clothes to him. "Listen, we need to get you some new clothes since mine don't fit you enough and yours -- well, you only have one pair and they're raggedy. No offense."

Ashton blinked. "R-Raggedy?"

"It means old and dirty and just...not good," Luke replied, not the best with school let along definitions and words. He saw Ashton putting the shirt on and checked his phone for the time. "I was thinking we can go to the mall till around six and then come back for dinner and pick up something on the way."

"Dinner," Ashton grinned, struggling with the sweatpants. "Ashton likes f-food."

The thing is, he wasn't sure why, but Ashton keeps saying his own name instead of 'I' or 'me'. He supposed the boy wasn't use to pronouns, but he'll need to teach him them eventually. For now, he's kind of letting Ashton just learn to speak in general. It was kind of cute, in his mind.

A smile formed on Luke's face and he walked over, having Ashton stand. He fixed up the sweatpants and tried not to think of this in a sexual way. He tightened the string and then tied a bow. "I know, we can go to the supermarket with Calum or something, I was hoping he would come over today. So, we'll see."

"Calum? G-Guy with big nose?" Ashton frowned, trying to remember.

Luke snickered and nodded, leading Ashton to the door,"Yeah, the guy with the big nose."

A giggle left Ashton's lips and he took the beanie he had, pulling it on. He winced as his ears pressed down, but turned and saw Luke walking over with a jacket.Ashton took the black one and snuggled into it. He put on his thongs and held his hand for Luke to take. The boy reluctantly took Ashton's bigger hand.

It's like Ashton was tiny compared to Luke (not really, but he's kitten-like and sometimes makes himself feel small), but he has huge hands and feet. Luke didn't know how to to take that. But, he just led Ashton to the car and helped him inside, then went to the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition.

He saw Ashton struggling with the seatbelt and Ashton pouted, trying to pull it back out. However, he accidentally let go and hissed when the item slapped back into the item. Luke snorted and reached out, taking the seatbelt. He clipped it on and Ashton grinned happily, petting the belt.

"It's a bit tricky, but you'll need to learn to get use to it," Luke said, starting the car up and Ashton paled at the engines sounds. "Whoa, calm down. It's just starting, it won't hurt you."

Ashton nervously bit his bottom lip,"W-Won't hurt Ashton?"

"No, it won't," Luke promised, patting his leg.

At first, the drive was really quiet and Ashton kept looking out the window with wide eyes whenever they drove passed things. But, he started getting bored. Since they live around the bad part of Sydney, they're not close to any malls. So, the drive was at least an hour long.

He saw Ashton was getting upset with the long wait. So, he suggested,"Hey, turn some music on, hm? Just press the button right the-no, not that one. Yeah, there you go."

Ashton pressed the button and he grinned as he saw it turn on. But, Luke's eyes widened as the music blasted. However,it wasn't from the radio, it was from the CD Calum put in the other day when they cleaned out the car and well. "Real country ass nigga, let me play with his rifle! Pussy put his ass to sleep, now he calling me NyQuil!"

The words made him cringe and he saw Ashton looking confused as he frantically turned it off. Ashton turned to him and pouted,"Why did Luke turn s-sound off?"

"Erm, no reason," Luke grinned innocently and saw Ashton look at him in suspicion. "Ooh, look! We're here!"

Ashton turned and his eyes widened when seeing the big shopping center. He grinned, pressing his face to the glass like a kid at an aquarium and Luke watched him in amusement. He pulled into the parking lot and saw Ashton trying to get out already, causing him to lightly smack the boy's arm.

The light smack made Ashton whimper and pout, slouching in his seat. Luke pulled into a spot that was empty and he got up, moving from the car as it turned off. There was child lock, so he had to get Ashton out. Seems like he's overreacting, but in all honesty, he was just afraid Ashton might do something dumb.

When he opened the door, Ashton took his hand. It made Luke worry about people saying something, but hopefully no one will care. He didn't want Ashton experiencing homophobia. So, he just hoped for the best and led Ashton inside, trying to figure out which store would be best to go to.

As they entered the mall, Ashton clinged to Luke tightly and eyes widened when seeing how many people were around. Luke really shouldn't have taken him here, but he needed to have the boy around so he could see what size he is. He didn't want to get anything too big or small.

Since the place as crowded, he wrapped an arm around Ashton and led him over to a store that had some good clothes that were decent and not too expensive. "Alright, we need to get a few outfits. Some boxers and socks since your feet are smaller. Ooh, and one pair of shoes. That should last until my next paycheck."

"C-Clothes for Ashton?" Ashton asked in confusion.

Luke nodded and patted his shoulder as they stood near a rack of shirts. "Yeah, just look around and see if you find something you like. I'll then get the right size and stuff, okay?" He then added for a pre-caution,"Don't be shy, just try to stay close by. Don't want you getting lost or something."

The kitten boy hesitated, seeing Luke walking over to some pants. Luke gave him a small smile and nodded, so Ashton slowly walked over to some shirts. Luke kept an eye on him for a moment, then sighed and tried finding pants he figured might fit him and took a size above and below, just in case.

He felt his phone vibrate, then pulled it out. He grinned when seeing Calum texted and the boy said he was going to order pizza. Luke hummed and said get an extra. He didn't feel like shopping for food anyways. He can take Ashton food shopping tomorrow since they will be tired after this.

Luke turned to see if Ashton wanted to try the pants on, but his smile fell when he didn't see the boy around. He hesitated and tried not to freak out. Luke walked over and he stood on his tip-toes, looking around to see if the smaller boy was just hidden behind some clothes racks and called his name.

"Fuck," Luke muttered, frantically rushing around and called out,"Ashton? Where are you?" He panicked and asked a girl,"Excuse me, have you seen a boy in a beanie? He's like, this tall." He held his hand out and she shook her head, making Luke nervously bite his lip,"Fuck, fuck, fuck."

He really can't lose the boy. He had to protect him and after a few days, he already lost him? Now he was panicking even more, what if he gets hurt? What if someone see's his ears? What if he's scared and turns into a kitten in front of someone? They might take him to be experimented on.

"L-Lukey? Found clothes for Ashton!"

A look of relief dawned on Luke's face when seeing Ashton rummage over with a pile of clothes nearly as tall as himself. Luke hesitated, not sure he could actually buy all of that. But, maybe he can sneak some clothes from the pile without Ashton noticing. No offense to Ashton, but he wasn't really the smartest kitten around.

"Oh, um, here. Let's go to the fitting rooms, you can try them on," Luke offered, taking some of the clothes from Ashton and going back to where he tossed some pants.

Ashton frowned,"L-Luke is okay? Sounds sad."

"I'm fine, just got scared for a second," He chuckled forcefully, gulping when Ashton stared at him with worried eyes. "C'mon, let's go before someone takes the room."

At first, Ashton still seemed worried. But, he followed and almost ran into some mannequins along the way. Luckily, Luke managed to help him out and he nudged through some people with Ashton following and holding onto his belt loop. It was a bit weird to see, but it helped Ashton.

When they got to the rooms, Luke handed him some clothes and he sneaked a few shirts that either won't fit, are too expensive or just ugly. No offense. He just knew Ashton wasn't aware of prices and fashion. Plus, some were meant for girls. However, he then thought it over and gender wasn't even meant for clothes, so he kept a couple.

As Ashton went into the room alone, he was scared at first. And, Luke couldn't have Ashton turn into a kitten in public, so he soothed him and had Ashton calm down, promising he's right outside. After assuring this, Ashton smiled and went into the room to put the outfits on.

In the end, Ashton ripped two shirts and almost cried when Luke got angry. He wasn't mad at Ashton, but it seemed like it and well, shopping for them isn't going to be happening again anytime soon. Or maybe it can, but he'll need to go in the fitting room with Ashton unless he wanted to pay for two forty dollar shirts that were now ruined.

-

"Why the hell did you get cheese pizza?"

"I thought Ashton couldn't eat meat!"

"He's a fucking human with kitten ears! He can eat meat!"

The two continued arguing and Luke was just really cranky that night. He wasn't sure why, but he was really taking it out on his best friend and in front of his new whateverthehell Ashton is. It's not his fault, Calum should know cheese pizza is gross and no one likes it except weirdos.

In Calum's defense, he wasn't sure whether or not Ashton is allowed to eat meat. However, Luke did his research and cats do eat meat. Even if they don't, he realized Ashton is a human as well and maybe he shouldn't have judged right away. But, he just was protective. He thought Calum was smarter than him, though.

When Calum went to sneer something, his eyes widened and Luke tensed. He turned and saw Ashton as a kitten, curling in the corner of the room. He sighed deeply, glancing at Calum with a stern look before moving towards where Ashton was hiding. He reached his hands out, but Ashton hissed at him.

"Ashton, I'm sorry we're yelling. I'm just cranky and so is Calum." He glared when Calum mumbled something under his breath. He scooted the couch a bit and pleaded,"C'mon, babe. Just come out, we'll stop yelling, promise. You can get hurt back there and I don't want that."

There was a moment for a pause, but then Ashton transformed and crawled back before standing up slowly. Luke grinned and he took Ashton's hand, leading him to the kitchen. Calum seemed in shock for a moment, probably not use to Ashton turning from kitten to human and such.

However, he just followed them and apologized,"I'm sorry, too. I didn't think you'd overhear all of that. I mean, it wasn't that bad of an argument. But, I'm guess you're not use to fighting."

Ashton hesitated and sat down. He saw Luke leave the room and nervously bit his bottom lip. He shrugged,"D-Don't like arguing cause loud and scary."

"Did your parents ever fight?" Luke asked, walking over and trying to see Ashton's reaction to the topic. He handed the boy a plate of pizza and sat down across from him, taking a bite of his own food. Ashton looked to be ignoring him and Luke narrowed his eyes. He pulled Ashton's plate back,"Hey, Ashton. What about your parents? How were they?"

Ashton glanced at his food that was taken. He frowned,"A-Ashton doesn't know."

"What do you mean?" Luke furrowed his eyebrows and slowly handed the plate back. "Do you have parents?"

"A-Ashton doesn't know."

A sigh left Luke's lips, but he nodded and decided to let the topic go. He didn't want to force Ashton to speak to much, he's trying to go slowly with him. At least he somewhat has an idea. Apparently Ashton either didn't have 'true' parents or he just doesn't remember them very well.

Luke turned and saw Calum was looking confused as well. He whispered to Luke,"Why does he talk in third person?"

"Um, I'm not really sure," Luke spoke slowly, voice quiet. "I think maybe it's the fact that he hears us calling him that and he may that that's how he has to address himself."

Calum nodded and then whispered,"Does he always eat like that...?"

Luke turned and saw Ashton eating the pizza messily, sauce everywhere. It reminded him of a toddler learning how to eat pizza for the first time. A fond chuckle left his lips and he shrugged, turning back to Calum who shook his head in disbelief. Obviously he doesn't find it endearing like Luke does.

"He's still learning, this all different for him," Luke shame Calum, nudging their legs.

"A-Ashton can hear you," Ashton spoke up, licking his thumb that had sauce on it. "E-Ears make things louder."

A blush coated both the boy's cheeks, not expecting to get caught gossiping like girls. They turned forward and both mumbled apologies to which Ashton just giggled. He licked his fingers and held his plate out for more. Luke chuckled, but got up and got him another piece of pizza.

He saw Calum was texting and he frowned when seeing the look on his face. "You alright, buddy?"

"No, that guy I went on a date with said I'm clingy," He whined, looking at his phone. "I don't see how I'm clingy! I just wanted to see him today even if we hung out yesterday and the day before."

"Totally not clingy," Luke smirked, shaking his head. "What's his name?"

"Niall," Calum grumbled, shrugging. "Guess we won't be working out well. I mean, I guess having sex on the first date wasn't the best idea in the world. But, c'mon, he's super hot. And, he's Irish! It's hard not to wanna fuck him. Or be fucked by him. We flipped and well, it was nice giving and taking from him."

A grimace formed on Luke's lips and he shook his head. He wasn't ready for that to be said. Nothing against having sex on the first date, but it wasn't his thing. He didn't think there's ever a right time for it. You just do it. Whether you wait a week or a month or a year, as long as you're in love and know they're the one he doesn't mind.

But, Ashton asked after eating the crust of the pizza,"What's fuck?"

"Uh," Calum tensed, sheepishly looking down when Luke groaned.

Ashton tilted his head cutely and blinked his eyes. Luke told him with a grin,"It's a word we don't use, okay? Promise me you won't ever say it."

"Luke, you say it all the time. I'm pretty sure you guys are the same age, so he should be allowed to say it," Calum retorted, turning to face Ashton. "Now, here are some words you might wanna use; fuck, bitch, ass, skank, hoe, dickhead, douchebag, hell, damn, asshole, cun--"

Luke shouted,"Calum, shut up!"

His loud voice made Calum wince and Ashton giggled,"C-Calum, shut up!"

"Good, remember that," Luke said with pride, sticking his tongue out at Calum and walked over to Ashton. He crouched next to him and used the napkin to wipe his mouth as he tsked. "It's like taking care of a five year old, I swear. C'mon, we can watch TV or something while we make Calum clean everything."

A pout formed on Calum's lips,"Why do I have to clean?"

"Cause, you're trying to corrupt his innocent mind!" Luke declared, wrapping an arm around Ashton and leading him to the living room.

Okay, maybe Ashton is around eighteen or nineteen and he should be able to not be innocent. But, there's something Luke adored about it. Ashton was...different.He didn't know anything except who he is and even then, he seemed lost. Luke liked that he can teach him. It's like having a baby but they're grown up.

This was where he can use his knowledge of the world and implant it in Ashton. He's in charge. He shows Ashton what o do, he tells him what's wrong and right -- it's a bit scary, now that he thought about it. However, it's that good scary. The one where you're scared to fall in love, but when you do it, you rarely ever regret it.

He sighed as Ashton crawled up on the couch and the boy asked quietly,"C-Cuddles?"

"Um," Luke hesitaed, not sure if that was a good idea. "Sure."

Ashton giggled and laid on him. He was warm and smelled like pizza, but somehow Luke just really loved it. He grinned and wrapped an arm around Ashton, grabbing the remote. He changed the channel to Shrek and figured it was better than everything else that was playing on the other channels.

He saw Ashton looking sad and asked,"You alright, Ash?"

"Um," Ashton nervously looked at him. "C-Can Ashton be kitten now?"

"What do you mean?" Luke frowned, not understanding. He saw Ashton frown even deeper and then put the pieces together. "Oh, you wanna...be a kitten now? Uh, I--I gues that's okay. But, you know you can't do that in public, right? Cause, someone might see and they won't like it."

Ashton nodded. "But, Ashton w-wants to be kitten now."

"Sure, this is your home now too. You can be a kitten whenever you want," Luke promised, ruffling his hair and sat up as Ashton scooted back. 

Before Ashton could do anything, Calum shouted from the kitchen,"I fucking burned my hand! Luke, I hate your house! It's mean to me!"

"Calum, s-shut up!" Ashton called back, giggling into his hands as Luke looked at him in surprise. He whispered (not well),"A-Ashton heard Luke say it earlier."

"I remember, you repeated it then as well," Luke thought back on it and shook his head. He nodded to Ashton and said,"Don't worry, he's fine. Now, turn into a kitten so we can cuddle and watch Shrek while Calum hurts himself more."

Ashton grinned,"O-Okay!"

Alright, Luke was slowly getting use to the fact that Ashton has the ability to change like that. But, it's kind of cool now that he saw it. Ashton can go from six feet tall to a mere few inches. He finds it adorable and sighed as he scooted back and Ashton crawled on top of him with a meow.

Luke grinned, petting the small creature and he shook his head slowly. Ashton started licking his face and if he was human while doing this, it would be a little gross. But, now it was just adorable and he picked him up, having the kitten settle down next to him and scratching behind the ears with a fond smile.

As they cuddled together, he wasn't sure which he liked better. Ashton in his arms or kitten Ashton in his arms. Both were really cute and he sighed deeply, feeling kitten Ashton snuggle under his chin and the kitten meowed and licked his neck. Luke chuckle, but was sleepy and he heard Ashton purring softly next t him as the sounds soothed him to sleep.

Meanwhile, Calum was grumbling as he dropped a plate on the floor. He awkwardly looked around, going to apologize to Luke. However, he stopped before he could and saw Luke and Ashton on the couch. He was a little confused and slowly backed away, not sure how to take this. Part of him found it cute, the other part was slightly weirded out.

Calum sighed and he really hoped his friend was smart about this. He looked down at the broken plate, shrugging and nonchalantly picking up the pieces and putting them in the trash. He grabbed the pizza, Luke's last piece of brownie from the fridge, a can of soda and quickly left before he could get caught. Not that he would, Luke is far too fond over Ashton to notice anything else in the world.


	5. Chapter 5

There are times in life that Luke is a bit confused as to why he does things. Having Ashton stay with him was one of those things. Because, he's a complete stranger. A hybrid. He's a kitten and Luke doesn't even like cats. He wasn't sure why he chose to do this, let alone why he didn't think it through.

Sometimes he does things without thinking and this was a prime mistake. He knows nothing about Ashton and now, he knew right away this was a mistake. He spent over five hundred dollars on him. He doesn't know Ashton's last name, how old he is, and if he's even a good person.

Surely Ashton is a sweet kid. Anyone can see that. But, how does he know that for sure? Ashton could very well be a jerk and just messing with Luke. It's not that he doesn't trust Ashton, he simply doesn't trust strangers and he didn't want to have this kid ruining his life or stealing from him.

It seemed random that he thought this, but he had to think it through. When he woke up in the middle of the night with a sleeping kitten on his chest, the thoughts were rushing through his mind and he couldn't stop thinking about this. About how Ashton was nothing but a stranger as of now and how he only knew what Ashton told him.

Luke had stared at Ashton's kitten self for so long, frowning at the way he purred and snuggled under Luke's chin. He was so small. Just a cute, baby kitten and his fur was all pretty and soft. Fuck. This boy is so weird. Luke's never met a hybrid, so it was awkward to know this was also a human sometimes, but he kind of liked it and he really shouldn't.

The blonde was lost at what to do and how to react. After a week of knowing Ashton, he sort of wanted to have him forever. To care for him and love him to death. He wanted to take care of him like Ashton's his own little baby. But, that's the thing that makes all of this confusing.

Ashton's not a baby.

He's not. He's just 'innocent'. Adorable or not, that's dangerous. Luke loves that he has control over what Ashton knows, but he also worries that this might not end well. What happens if Ashton gets taken away or what if he steals or something. He can't know what to do or think considering he knows nothing about him and Ashton won't speak.

As he laid there that night, he saw Ashton all curled up in his kitten form and he tried not to think so negatively. He didn't want to cause any problems. All he had to do was think about Ashton and how he's alone. He has no family that Luke knows of and he can't think so terribly about this.

So, Luke had went back to sleep with Ashton sleeping and purring on him like an adorable baby. Cause maybe he's not a real baby, but he's adorable and sweet and he acts like one. So, Luke continued to sleep and drifted with a small weight on his chest and dreamt of Ashton not being a kitten and just being normal.

However, it was early in the morning and Luke was really confused as he felt something scratchy rub against his face. He grumbled and scooted around, hearing a soft meow and slowly blinked his eyes open. The light through the curtains was blinding and he winced, seeing a pair of bright, hazel eyes staring into his squinted ones.

Ashton as a kitten began licking Luke's cheek and purring as he snuggled with his fluffy fur rubbing against his face. Luke groaned and rubbed his eyes, feeling a kink in his neck. He hates sleeping on the couch and really regrets doing so. However, Ashton seemed happy as he meowed again.

Luke said in a raspy voice,"Um, morning. Mind changing back...? I feel weird waking up to a cat."

At first, Ashton tilted his kitten head in confusion. But, then he meowed and licked Luke once more before changing in a blink of an eye. And, Luke regretted asking because he let out a groan of pain as Ashton's heavy body sprawled on top of him and the boy giggled with a grin.

He was naked.

Like, legit naked and Luke blushed a bit as he avoided looking at his body. It was weird, because he's still unsure of his sexuality. So, he didn't know if he was awkward cause he doesn't like guys or awkward cause he's trying not to get turned on. Ashton is gorgeous, but this was still weird.

"Um, Ashton, can you like, get up? And put some clothes on? I just don't want you to be cold," Luke lied casually, trying to sit up and was blushing when Ashton clinged to him and nuzzled his face into Luke's chest.

"W-Warm," He practically purred, smiling happy.

Luke cleared his throat and patted Ashton's head. "Thanks, but you'll be even warmer if you put on clothes. Your clothes from last night are on the ground over there, just change and I'll make some breakfast. Do you want pancakes or bacon? Maybe some cereal or waffles?"

"L-Luke doesn't want to c-cuddle Ashton?" Ashton frowned, arms tightly wound around Luke's torso.

A frown formed on Luke's face. He didn't know what to say. He just hesitated,"Listen, we can cuddle as much as you want. But, as of now, we need to keep a small distance? Just, we're not meant to cuddle a lot. You're not a kitten right now. You're a boy. And, I don't normally cuddle with boys."

Ashton furrowed his eyebrows,"Why?"

He got up, grabbing his clothes as Luke sighed and stood as well. He saw Ashton struggling to get the boxers on, but managing to do so. Ashton followed with into the kitchen and Luke tried not to get annoyed with this. He kind of found it cute, but he's also a grouch in the morning, so it was hard to handle the boy.

"I don't think I like boys," Luke shrugged and pulled out two bowls for cereal.

Ashton halted,"B-But, Ashton is boy."

"Yeah, I know," Luke eyed him, glancing to Ashton's boxer-covered crotch. "Trust me, I know."

Not understanding this, Ashton frowned. He retorted with a sheepish expression,"But, i-if Ashton is boy and Luke doesn't like boys. Luke doesn't like A-Ashton?" Ashton sniffled and he mumbled,"L-Luke doesn't like Ashton."

Luke was confused himself and he saw Ashton's bottom lip trembling, his kitten ears slowly falling down to flatten against his messy hair sadly before he walked out. He then realized Ashton thought Luke doesn't like him because he said he didn't like boys. When, Luke just meant he doesn't like boys romantically.

He shook his head and quickly poured the cereal and milk before walking to where Ashton was sitting in the living room with a frown. Ashton was curled up in a ball and looked up when Luke walked into the room. Luke quietly handed Ashton his bowl of Froot Loops to which the boy sluggishly took it.

"Listen, there's...a different meaning to what I said," Luke spoke softly, turning to face Ashton. "You know how in some movies we watched, two people were kissing?"

"A-Ashton doesn't know what kissing is," He grumbled.

"Erm, it's like when two people put their lips together. Like in the movies." Ashton nodded and Luke tried explaining,"Well, that's cause they like each other. Two people kiss when they like each other romantically and want to be together forever. And, I don't think I like boys that way."

Ashton hesitated,"B-Boys can't like boys?"

"No! They can, I just don't think I do," Luke quickly assured, seeing Ashton looking confused. "Um, do you think you like boys?"

"A-Ashton doesn't know." Ashton looked at Luke and lightly poked his lip, causing Luke to chuckle. "L-Liking is wanting to kiss someone? To put mouths together?"

The way he worded it made it sound weird, but Luke just nodded. He saw Ashton staring at him and awkwardly moved a bit in his seat, hesitating,"Do you think you would want to kiss a boy or a girl?"

"G-Girls are yucky," Ashton scrunched his nose in disgust and looked at his cereal with a frown. "A-Ashton just likes food. Can A-Ashton eat his food?"

Luke nodded and he smiled fondly when Ashton leaned his head down and tried eating cereal without a spoon. He shook his head and that morning, he showed Ashton how to properly eat cereal. Ashton seemed embarrassed when he did it wrong, but it was adorable nonetheless.

After they finished eating, Luke insisted that he had to shower and Ashton reluctantly waited for him in the living room. He didn't know why the boy wanted to be around him so much. It's like no matter what, Ashton clings to him and he kind of likes it, but at the same time, it's not good.

Because, he doesn't know how long Ashton is staying. He has so much to learn about him and as much as he loves having Ashton around, it won't be forever. He's only letting Ashton stay until they figure something out and that could take days, weeks or months. But, eventually he has to leave. It's just true.

However, he was making the best of this new friendship and he helped Ashton out. He even split the drawers and closet in half. Ashton got a lot of clothes. Luke was amused when Ashton wore a My Little Pony Shirt, but didn't say anything and just handed the beanie as they headed out.

He had to go to work again and despite Ashton saying he can stay home alone, Luke wasn't sure he really could. Because, trust needs to be earned and Ashton is still a stranger. So, he let Ashton hold his hand and he had to go to work early so he can restock up. His boss left some boxes of items that were needing to be put away and it was going to be a lot of work.

When they got to the store, Luke headed in and Ashton trailed behind with a skip in his step. Luke saw the boxes in the back room and sighed deeply when seeing he had twenty minutes to get everything together. He noticed Ashton was playing with some key chains and grinning as he did so.

Luke asked,"Hey, mind helping me?"

"H-Help Luke? How?" Ashton grinned, walking over and tossed the key chain on the ground.

Luke's eyes darted to the keys, but he just shook his head and said,"Alright, I need to put this all away. Can you place these magazines,"He handed Ashton the box and Ashton shrieked, feeling how heavy it is. "Where those magazines are neatly? Just put them the way those ones are and it'll be fine."

Ashton nervously bit his lip,"A-Ashton doesn't want to do w-wrong."

"You'll be fine, just put them gently with the others. Be careful not to knock over the rack," Luke grinned, giving Ashton a comforting pat on the shoulder and left to put the food away.

As he headed to the candy isle, he was pleased to see Ashton doing fine and just timidly putting the magazines away. Luke glanced back a few times, just making sure all is okay. He put some candy away and hummed quietly while he did so. Just trying to let the radio music soothe him and get him ready for his job.

However, halfway through putting candy away, he heard a loud bang and jumped up. Luke's eyes widened when hearing a crash and then turned, seeing the magazine stand had fallen over and crashed into a small rack of crisps. The trash was all over the floor and Luke groaned when seeing Ashton now as a kitten and crowding in the corner by the door.

"Ashton! Get over here!" Luke snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ashton whimpered and the small kitten was trembling with fear. However, seeing his expression, Ashton quickly transformed back and quickly put his clothes back on as he said with a terrified expression,"A-Ashton's sorry! Just knocked over on a-accident. Didn't mean to make l-loud sounds."

"Ugh, it's fine. But, we need to hurry! Please, be more careful," Luke groaned and shook his head. "Didn't your mother ever teach you how to clean?"

A frown formed on Ashton's face. "N-No, Ashton's mum doesn't like clean."

"What do you mean?" Luke pushed, trying to see if he would be willing to talk about it more.

Much to his dismay, Ashton stayed quiet again and just shakily picked up the magazines. He was quiet for a while and tugged his beanie back on. Luke frowned, however he went back to the candy and spared one last glance. He saw Ashton sighing deeply when seeing a picture of Kim Kardashian and her daughter, North West.

He wasn't sure if Ashton stared cause of Kim or just because of the fact it was a mum and her daughter. Maybe he misses his mum. Luke misses his a bit, but he also has fun without her crowding him all the time. He didn't even know if she would be happy about him taking in a stranger, let alone a hybrid.

However, Luke couldn't think much considering the shop needed to be open. So, he quickly put away some candy and then went to the counter to unlock the cash register and turn the closed sign to 'O P E N'. He had Ashton sit with him again and play some Flappy Bird and then the day began.

Just like before, Ashton stayed quiet and played the game while Luke sold some things. It was a typical day and maybe Luke was just a lucky person, but he managed to go through without many customers and just focused on laughing at Ashton hissing at the game. He really knew how to make Luke smile.

-

After another long day at work, Luke managed to get through it after Ashton was tired and fell asleep on the floor. Let's just say, he wasn't easy to pick up and Luke wished he was in kitten form when he fell asleep. Cause, Ashton isn't the best person to wake up. He gets cranky as well.

But, he wasn't too bad and Luke didn't mind a few pouty faces. Even if it made him feel like he was punched in the face. Ashton is the sweetest person ever and he can handle him being grumpy sometimes. If anything, it was amusing and made him want to laugh and hug him to death.

Ashton makes him question his sexuality.

Though, his sexuality was always a mystery. Ashton being all cute and whining made it worse. Luke just assured him he can nap when they get to the house. But, Ashton was still being a grumpy pants, therefor Luke let Ashton get on his back and he sort of regretted saying this considering he's heavier than he looks.

It was weird. Ashton is smaller and he's lighter, but still felt heavy. Maybe Luke should work out or something. He just struggled and allowed himself to carry Ashton all the way to his own house. Ashton was warm and cuddly and snuggled his face in Luke's shoulder, arms loosely holding around Luke's neck.

When they got to the house, Ashton mumbled sleepily,"A-Ashton's tired."

"Ashton can sleep in my bed while I cook dinner," Luke offered, going to let Ashton down, but the boy whined and tightened his hold on him. Luke groaned,"Ashton, yo-you're choking me. Just get down for a sec."

Ashton shrieked and leg's linking around Luke's waist. "No! S-So warm, L-Lukey. Just wanna snuggle."

"Lukey?" Luke furrowed his eyebrows, but felt his heart swell. "Ugh, fine. Loosen up, though, your grip is so tight."

He realized how dirty that sounded and nearly smacked himself. However, Ashton was innocent and just grinned happily and surprised Luke with a weird kiss on the shoulder. It wasn't really a kiss. Ashton just pursed his lips and pressed them to his shoulder. It was oddly cute.

After Luke got the door open, he sighed in relief as he entered the room. It was a struggle with a 140 pound (63 Kilograms) kitten boy on his back, but worth it as Ashton giggled and whipped his beanie off, allowing his ears to be free. Luke smiled and rushed over to the couch, dropping Ashton playfully on the couch and Ashton shrilled in surprise.

Luke chuckled, sitting on the couch and seeing Ashton taking off his jacket and struggling to get his shoes off. He grumbled and struggled, but Luke grabbed his feet with a sigh. He untied the shoes and Ashton blushed, but allowed him to do so as he watched the boy with a dopey grin on his face.

Luke looked up and noticed Ashton lightly rubbing his kitten ears. He paused and then asked curiously,"Hey, random question, but...if you have kitten ears, do your um, 'human' ears work...?"

"K-Kitten ears?" Luke poked his kitten ear and Ashton flinched, but then nodded in understanding. He explained quietly,"U-Um, Kitten ears help. Cause these e-ears," He pointed to his human ears,"D-Don't work good. Makes things louder? Both are working, but kitten e-ears are better."

It was a bit confusing, but Luke figured he understood decently well. He pulled off Ashton's socks and then tossed them to the side, deciding to do laundry later. He was surprised as Ashton began snuggling on his lap, purring softly as he curled up in a small ball. He didn't know how he manages to get so tiny when he's at least six feet tall.

Luke smiled a bit, letting his hand rest gently on Ashton's head and fingers twirl his wavy hair. Ashton tensed, but slowly relaxed into the touch. Luke hesitated before letting his fingers lightly brush against Ashton's velvet-like ear and the skin was so soft and delicate, but then Ashton flinched and looked up at him with a frown and hurt eyes.

"Sorry," Luke apologized with guilt.

Ashton smiled lightly,"E-Ears are hurt easily."

Luke nodded in understanding, letting his hand gently rest at Ashton's hip. His skin was warm, so soft under Luke's hand from where his shirt rode up slightly. Luke asked after a moment,"Ashton? Um, I know I asked already, but I was...I just wanted to know, where is your family?"

There was a small silence. "A-Ashton doesn't know."

"You don't know where your family is?" Luke felt his heart ache as he saw Ashton blink his eyes open slowly, long lashes framing his hazel orbs as the boy looked up slowly.

Ashton shrugged,"A-Ashton doesn't know if he has a family."

His words caused so much pain to Luke's heart. He didn't know Ashton was so lost. Did he lose his memory or something? Where did he live before? Luke sighed, wanting to ask but saw how sad Ashton suddenly looked. His hazel eyes brimming with tears and Luke's heartstrings were tugged by the depressing look.

"I'm sorry." Luke didn't know what to say and that's all that came to mind.

Ashton frowned as he patted his eyes,"C-Crying, oh no. So sorry, didn't mean t-to cry. Ashton's not sad! Ashton's just w-wanting to know where family is."

"I'm so sorry, Ashton," Luke simply said again, so lost on what to do. He saw Ashton yawning and hesitated, running his hands through his hair. "Hey, why don't you go to my bedroom? You can take a cat nap."

The small joke had Ashton giggling,"C-Cat nap? So cute!"

"I know right? Now, c'mon, you can change into a kitten too, yeah?" Luke patted Ashton's bum playfully and Ashton gaped at him, making Luke snicker in amusement. "Go on! I'll be back in with some food. I'll make Mac N' Cheese, don't worry, you'll like it. It's addicting."

Ashton grinned and he scrambled out of the room with a skip in his step. Luke watched him, then went into the kitchen after he kicked off his shoes. He got the Mac N' Cheese out, then sighed deeply when hearing a loud crash and Ashton shouting 'it's okay!' to which Luke rolled his eyes with a small smile.

He knew Ashton was probably changing into some pajamas, so he didn't bother worrying and just made some food. He was hungry and working is a lot of work...obviously. So, he continued to let the water boil while he got the box out. He waited a few minutes and didn't hear a noise for quite some time.

Luke put the food down and he slowly walked into the bedroom, seeing Ashton sleeping with Luke's pajama pants on and Luke's shirt. He wasn't sure why considering he bought Ashton many pajamas, he could just wear those. However, Luke shrugged it off and saw Ashton was shivering a little. He went to the closet and grabbed a blanket, lightly draping it over the boy's sleeping body.

After he made sure he was covered, Luke went into the kitchen and went to continue cooking. However, he heard a knock on the door and opened it after the second knock, seeing Calum sprawl into the room with a pout on his lips and stalking over to the kitchen with a huff of annoyance.

"Stupid Niall broke up with me! I cannot believe this. That Irish little bitch," Calum crossed his arms and hopped on the counter. "I want food."

"And I want a million dollars, but that ain't happening. Sorry about the break up, but it must not be meant to be," Luke said, pouring the macaroni in the pot. "Anyways, I'm making mac N' cheese for Ashton, so if you wanna stay for that, then go ahead and do so. Just get your ass off my counter."

A look of confusion crossed Calum's face as he did as told. He walked over to where Luke was cooking and asked,"Ashton's still living with you? How long are you letting him stay?"

"I don't really know," Luke admitted, stirring the mac n' cheese. "I was thinking maybe just a month or two, but his family...well, he doesn't know where they are and I don't want him to be homeless. It's just so much money to let him stay, though. He's so nice, but it's getting to be a struggle.

"No kidding, you spent more money on him in a week than me in years." Calum reached over and stole a sip of Luke's soda. "Listen, Ashton's nice, but that doesn't mean you need to let him stay with you. You don't even know this guy! He could be a secret murderer and looking for a place to stay for all ya know."

As much as Luke wanted to argue, he found himself silent and stunned. Calum's right. He's been thinking about that, however he didn't want to be a bad guy and kick Ashton out. No one deserves to be homeless. Especially not sweet, innocent little boys who can get kidnapped and assaulted in seconds.

Luke nervously chewed on his bottom lip. "I don't want to hurt his feelings."

"Just gently tell him tomorrow," Calum said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a small squeeze.

When Luke nodded, the two chuckled to clear the tension and they stayed quiet. Luke furrowed his eyebrows when hearing a door close quietly. He looked over, then shrugged and finished the mac n' cheese while Calum rambled about this Niall guy that Luke didn't care about.

After the food was done, he made a plate and snorted when Calum snatched up some food. He went over to the room and saw the door was closed. He opened it and noticed Ashton curled up in a ball and laying differently than before. His hands were tucked under his face and the boy turned over with a frown.

He asked quietly,"L-Luke?"

"Yeah? I got you some food," Luke placed the bowl on the table next to the bed. "Be careful, it's hot. Calum's over, but you can stay in here if you want. We'll just watch some TV."

Ashton nodded slowly and quickly grabbed Luke's hand with a small smile,"Um, L-Luke said zoos are fun? Ashton saw z-zoo on TV. Are they fun?"

"Yeah, they're really fun. I'm sure anyone would wanna go," Luke grinned, but was a little confused. "Why? Have you never been to the zoo before?"

"No, A-Ashton wants to go, though," Ashton shrugged, pointing to the TV as it showed a mother taking her daughter to the zoo. "They're are kittens?"

Luke shook his head and scratched the back of his neck. "Sort of? There's lions and different cats, but I don't think so. You never know. Maybe I can take you this weekend, if you want. It'd be fun, I haven't been since forever." He got up and patted Ashton's thigh,"Why are you wearing my pajamas, silly?"

"They're warm and s-smell like Luke," He admitted shyly, picking at the pajamas.

His words made Luke's heart flutter and the boy cleared his throat with a blush. "Oh, well, I'm gonna go back to Calum before he eats all the food. If you wanna hang out with us, feel free to do so. Enjoy the mac n' cheese, Ashton."

Ashton nodded and Luke gave him another pat on the shoulder before heading back into the living room. He saw Calum was sprawled on the couch and sat on his lap jokingly, only for Calum to shove him off. Luke whined as he fell on the ground and the two boys just started watching some cartoons like the mature adults they are.

As he did so, Luke was feeling a bit anxious. Why did Ashton want to go to the zoo? Surely he was probably just curious, but it was a little weird. However, Ashton probably wanted to be around other animals like himself and Luke doesn't blame him. It must be weird being around humans now.

When Luke and Calum watched TV, time slowly passed and Luke was laughing as Calum kept throwing popcorn at him and jokingly kicking him whenever he failed to catch one in his mouth. He almost forgot about Ashton, that was until Calum insisted they brought him out to hang out as well before he left.

"He should have a fun night before you kick him out," Calum insisted, getting up.

However, Luke retorted,"That's just cruel, Calum."

Calum just grinned and he skipped into the hallway. Luke didn't see why they had to do this. It just sounded really mean in his opinion, but then again, Calum is a jerk and can be mean sometimes. He's a sweetheart deep inside, though. So, he wasn't very surprised when this came up.

Before he could keep going on with these thoughts, he heard Calum call his name and Luke frowned at the worried tone. He slowly got up and walked over, seeing Calum nervously fiddling with his fingers in the middle of the room. His face was slightly pale and Luke looked at him with a 'what?' expression.

Calum slowly pointed to the window and Luke's eyebrows furrowed. But, then his eyes widened and he glanced at where Ashton's mac n' cheese was left, bowl full and placed on the side table. He then looked around in a panic and put the pieces together, trying not to believe it.

"Maybe he's just in the bathroom," Luke assured, but knew deep inside he was wrong.

When Calum went to argue, Luke shook his head and ran over to the bathroom. He felt his heart drop when seeing Ashton wasn't there. But, Ashton goes into kitten form sometime. He ran to the kitchen, looking around and calling Ashton's name as much as he could and each time he said it, he felt himself slowly falling apart.

Luke ran back in the room and he checked under the bed, hoping that maybe he's panicking over nothing. Because, Ashton wouldn't do this. However, it slowly fell on him when realizing it was probably true. Of course, Calum had to say what he was thinking and as he did, Luke was definitely allowed to worry now.

"I think Ashton ran away."


	6. Chapter 6

When you don't grow up with pets, you're confused on where to go if they ever get lost. Usually you think they would be hiding in an alley or running around the neighborhood. Pets are typically found near your house or down the block, but they don't go too far since they need familiar settings.

But, this was different and Ashton isn't really a pet. He's a human. At least, he partly is and Luke wasn't sure where to even start looking. Ashton doesn't have a phone, let alone knew how to ask for one or what they were called. He was so helpless which made Luke helpless for where he should start looking for him.

Is it possible to lose a human? Technically, Ashton ran away. But, those words made Luke sad considering that meant Ashton wanted to leave and he didn't know why. Did he do something wrong? He thought Ashton liked him and now he just ran off without telling him he was even going.

Despite only knowing him for a little over a week, Luke felt attached and they were suppose to get on well. Ashton was so sweet and he felt like he knew him. But, when Calum started asking questions about him, Luke realized he really didn't know anything about Ashton and maybe that's the problem.

Was he not well aware enough about who Ashton is? Because, if so, he's so sorry and he wanted to just make Ashton happy and that's why he wanted to kick him out. He was going to help him find his family or somewhere to stay. He was going to do something that's better than Ashton living with him considering that felt like the right thing to do.

In the end, he realized it wasn't and he felt really bad for doing that. Maybe Ashton didn't feel loved and he left since Luke wasn't giving him enough attention. He did just get up and leave Ashton alone in the room. Does Ashton want more attention ? He'll give it to him if he does.

The blonde was seriously desperate to have his kitten back. He knew Ashton for a week and yet, it felt like a lifetime of taking care of him and he didn't want Ashton gone forever. He's so helpless and small (despite being six feet) and what if he's in kitten form? What if someone takes him away?

All these thoughts had Luke panicking more and Calum was driving as Luke looked out the window. He knew it was dumb, but he hung up pictures of Ashton as a kitten in case he was in kitten form. Because, Ashton is probably scared and when he's scared, he's a kitten and he needed to be safe.

If someone finds him, what might happen when Ashton turns into a naked human? That won't be okay. Ashton might get taken away and put into a facility for insane and weird people. Perhaps Ashton is weird, but he's not crazy and Luke didn't think he would deserve to be there with psychopaths.

When they turned the corner towards the store, Luke was nearly in tears. It's been an hour and it was getting dark. He was literally shaking and Luke leaned his head on the window as he tried to calmly not panic. Even if he already was, he didn't want to show it and let people know he's freaking out or anything.

Calum kept giving him concerned glances as if he truly cared that Luke was worried. It's sad to know Ashton might be hurt or worse. Maybe he's fine and found his family. But, it's only been an hour and deep inside, Luke knew he was probably shaking in his boots and trying to find some shelter to sleep under.

When it was around eight, Luke nervously bit his bottom lip and looked out of the window to see it was dark out and the cloudy sky was starting to drizzle with rain. He didn't want Ashton getting rained on. He hates showers, how can he handle the rain? He's probably going to freak out and have no one to take care of him and assure him it's okay.

"Maybe we should head in for the night," Calum suggested, giving Luke a sympathetic look when the blonde just glared at him in disbelief.

The taller of the two exclaimed,"Ashton's somewhere out there at night and it's about to rain, yet you're just thinking of going home? He's going to be so scared!"

"He's dealt with it before, hasn't he? He can deal with it again," Calum retorted and went to turn the car around. "Seriously, you need to calm down. He left for a reason. Maybe he just doesn't want to live with you anymore."

A frown formed on Luke's lips and he roughly shoved Calum, causing the boy to nearly swerve and scowl at him. Luke said with an angered tone,"He was very happy living with me! He never complained, he was actually pretty clingy and he seemed so happy. I don't get why he would leave like that. He was fine before."

He couldn't recall Ashton ever seeming upset with him. Aside from them talking about his family, but would that be the reason? He didn't seem that upset, more like confused and Luke figured that he was just trying to understand where they were. However, he wasn't dumb enough to just leave like that without any help.

"Alright, you wanna find Ashton?" Luke nodded and Calum glanced at him hesitantly. "I guess we can try to find him, yeah? Until midnight at the latest. Just tell me whatever he said before he left. You went into the room, did he give off any hints that he would be leaving or where he might be going?"

As Calum turned to head off to the main road, Luke tried to think. He knew Ashton was eating mac n' cheese and they weren't saying much. It was kind of quiet, if anything. But, then he thought about it and he found himself chuckling a bit at his ridiculous conclusion to where Calum looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Luke shrugged with a chuckle,"I--I don't think he's where my mind is telling me."

"What? You might know where he is?" Calum pestered, slowing the car down a bit.

The blonde shrugged and nervously bit his lip,"Maybe, but I don't see how he could be there. He doesn't have money, I'm pretty sure it's closed and the thought is just hilarious."

However, Calum just groaned and parked the car into the parking lot of a gas station. He turned to his friend and said with a glare,"Listen, Luke. I was just dumped today and I don't know why, but your kitten friend ran away. I am sympathetic, but also really tired and just wanna sleep. However, I am helping you and if you don't cooperate and tell me where you think Ashton might be, I'm just going home."

"Fine, fine," Luke raised his hands in defense and sheepishly shrugged. "I think he might be at the zoo."

Calum blinked. "The zoo?"

"He kept asking about the zoo and that's the only place I can think he might be," Luke admitted, feeling silly saying this. "The zoo closes at nine, so I doubt we'd be able to get in, though. I'm just afraid he might be a little dumb and try to cuddle with a tiger or something and think it's his mum."

The suggest almost made Calum burst out laughing. The sad part is that Luke is serious, because Ashton isn't the brightest person in the world and who knows? Maybe the tiger would be nice since Ashton is just a small kitten. But, he might also get eaten alive and Luke didn't want that to happen.

Luckily, Calum started the car up again and he glanced back before pulling out. "Alright, so the park is basically closed. But, remember my friend Jerome?" Luke nodded, recalling the rude jerk. "He and I use to sneak into the zoo and get drunk -- dumb, I know. But, hopefully the place we sneaked into is still there."

It was a bit convenient, but Luke trusted him and he leaned back to try and relax. He was also tired, despite it being before ten at night. He just had a long (yet inactive) day and felt like he ran a mile, even if he didn't even run at all. It was weird, but sometimes stress just makes him tired.

When they drove to the zoo, Calum had to use his GPS and Luke shook his head at the annoying voice. It was robotic and the directions it gave didn't even get spoken till the last minute. He wanted to choke the machine, which is silly since you can't choke something with no air. However, he's just special.

The robotic voice spoke,"Now, turn left in five feet."

Calum gasped, quickly turning and Luke winced as he gripped onto the door of the car. He glared and said to Calum,"You know, your GPS gives worse directions than my boss."

"Hey now, it was on sale," Calum huffed in offense. "Besides, you need to focus on where to start looking for Ashton at the zoo. Where do you think he'd go?"

Luke innocently spoke,"Oh, I don't know. Considering he's a cat and wanted to try and find his cat parents, maybe he's going to go to the cat exhibit!"

His raised voice made Calum wince and the boy pouted as he retorted,"Well, there's no need to yell."

Instead of replying, Luke just shook his head and turned his attention to his phone. It was dying, but he just tried to look up a map of the zoo so they can find the exhibit quicker. The less time they're in there, the less likely they will be caught and arrested for trespassing. He really hoped Ashton was there.

The thought of little, kitten Ashton being in a cage with a tiger really wasn't pleasing. He didn't want the boy getting hurt or mauled by an animal. Not that he believes all animals are cruel or crazing. But, considering they're caged, he assumed that the animal wasn't exactly happy around humans.

When they got to the zoo, it was almost ten and the long drive had Luke yawning in boredom and nearly pass out. he should have known it would be far. But, how did Ashton get there so fast? Considering he was on foot and probably in kitten form, he most likely bypassed traffic. But, he must have had to ask how to get to the zoo. He'll need to ask after finding him.

The two got out of the car that was parked in the store nearby, then walked over to where a small forest-like area was. Calum grabbed Luke's hand and led him through a path. Calum seemed relieved, so hopefully this would work and Luke nervously allowed himself to be tugged.

Calum grinned as his eyes set on a small gated area. Luke wanted to ask why this was good since the gate was obviously electric. However, Calum pulled Luke towards the end of the fence where there was a wooden stall for bathrooms behind it. He then spotted a small opening in the fence that was obviously old and ripped open.

Calum explained,"Me and Jerome use to sneak in here."

"You think I can fit in that? My shoulders are longer than your díck," Luke retorted in a whisper. "Fuck, I don't understand how I'm going to find him now!"

"Calm down," Calum said with an eye roll. "You will fit. Just watch, give me your shoe."

Luke was confused, but slowly took off his VANs shoe and handed it to Calum. The boy crouched down and used the shoe to slam the fence with force. The cheap and old fence dented more and more and Luke was surprised at how easily Calum was able to widen the fence more with his strength.

After the boy proudly stood up, he handed the shoe to Luke and laid flat on the ground. His Green Day shirt was definitely ruined by now, but thankfully there weren't too many bugs seen and the boy appeared on the other side of the fence unharmed. He motioned for Luke to do the same.

The problem is Luke is thicker widely and he was scared he will he shocked to death or something. But, he needed to save Ashton. So, he laid down after putting his shoes back on and shimmied backwards. He felt dirty all over him, however he took a breath and pushed himself with his knees through the opening of the fence.

However, just when Luke was nearly fully inside, he gasped and jumped back when the fence zapped his ankle. Luke's heart nearly stopped in shock and Calum frantically pulled him back to get him away. Luke nearly shook in fear that he was seriously injured, but sighed in relief when he just saw a small burnt mark on his ankle.

"Fuck, that hurt," Luke grumbled and stood up.

Calum dusted his back off and said,"Let's just get to Ashton before we almost die for him."

His words made Luke cringe, but nod as they quickly rushed around the zoo. He felt like he was on Madagascar as he saw Calum checking for security cameras. There weren't man and they hid behind some poles and cages whenever seeing some. Which worried Luke more, if he's being honest.

Luckily, most animals were sleeping and the scary ones were locked away anyways, so they only had to worry about monkey and birds. Luke was trying to use the map on his phone to lead them over to the cat exhibit. He knew Ashton just had t be there and if he wasn't, he had no idea what he would do.

When they got over to the exhibit, it was right next to the giraffes and he looked over the ledge to see the giraffes were sleeping. They were on their knees and he knew giraffes only get thirty minutes most of sleep, so he had to hurry before they wake up and see them and cause some type of noise.

He heard Calum whisper his name and Luke rushed over, breathing out in relief when he saw a familiar kitten in the cheetah exhibit, making his heart drop. Because, Ashton was literally a tiny thing compared to them. So small that Luke barely saw him until watching the small kitten running around as if trying to find someone.

Luke hesitated and looked at Calum, before he whispered,"Ashton! Pst, Ashton!"

His voice was thankfully loud enough and Ashton's ears pricked up, him halting as he turned and saw Luke staring at him with worried eyes. Ashton meowed and ran over, jumping on a rock and Luke smiled fondly. He literally wanted to ry over how relieved he was to see him.

"You need to come home, yeah? It's really dangerous being here," Luke said, gripping onto the metal bars. "These animals aren't the same type as you, they're more dangerous and you need to be safe."

Ashton looked confused, but Luke's eyes widened as Calum roughly pulled him back. The cheetah had woken up and was now roaming the exhibit with a yawn, sharp teeth jutted out and making Luke almost pee himself. Ashton panicked and the small animal ran over, only for the cheetah to see and mark him as prey.

"Fuck," Luke muttered, rushing over and holding his hand into the cage. "Ashton, climb up!"

The small kitten-boy ran over and was jumping on the small ledge with small whimpering sounds. he clinged onto the ledge and climbed through the bars, thankfully small enough to fit and Luke snatched his arm out of the opening before the animal could bite at him and the cheetah was snarling.

Luke pulled Ashton into his arms and he carried the shaking kitten away from the exhibit. He wasn't angry at the cheetah, because the cheetah's small territory was invaded and he already pitied caged animals. He was just worried for Ashton's safety and thanked Calum as the boy got his phone.

Luke sighed as the rain began the pour, making him grimace at the way his clothes were getting drenched. Luke rushed them to the fence and had Ashton crawl under with them following. He was surprised that they managed to sneak away without a problem, sighing in relief when Calum gave him the thumbs up.

"Ashton, you can change back now," Luke replied softly, petting his damp fur.

As his wish was granted, Calum awkwardly looked away from Ashton's naked body and cleared his throat. Luke rolled his eyes,but just took off his jacket that was a little damp, but gave it to Ashton. He hesitated and just took off his pants as well, staying in just boxers and a shirt. He wanted Ashton warm, so he didn't get sick.

Ashton sheepishly took the clothes and he sniffled,"T-Thanks."

Luke just smiled and put his shoes back on. He took Ashton's hand after he changed and helped him up. They walked to the car and Luke wrapped an arm around him to warm him up, asking in concern,"Why did you leave, Ashton? We were so worried about you. You could have been hurt."

There was a pause as Ashton looked down with a frown. He didn't seem like he wanted to answer, but Luke was worried and he needed to know. Of course, it was raining and so he sighed, deciding to wait until they got to the car where it was more warm and less hard to hear him.

As they got inside, Calum started it up and put on the heat. Ashton's hair was flattened and sticking to his forehead. Luke scooted in the back with him, wanting to keep the boy warm and talk to him. Ashton seemed nervous to answer the question and strangely, he kept glancing at Calum.

But, soon he admitted as they drove off,"A-Ashton wanted to find someone."

"Find someone? At the zoo? Did you try to find your family?" Ashton shook his head and Luke was more confused as he placed a hand on Ashton's thigh. "Who were you trying to find, then?"

Ashton seemed really upset all of a sudden and he bursted into tears. Luke's eyes widened and Calum was also caught off guard by the sudden cry. It was the most heart-breaking thing ever, to see someone cry so hard. He's never seen Ashton cry and he was in a panic, not sure what to do.

He always felt awkward when someone was crying and just decided to hug the boy, to which Ashton clinged to him and climbed into his lap after taking off his seatbelt. Of course, this was dangerous and Luke knew that. But, he just sighed and let Ashton cuddle into him as long as he was safe.

After a moment, Luke asked softly,"What's wrong? You can talk to me, Ashton."

"A-Ashton's friend is gone. A-Ashton just wants friend back," He mumbled into Luke's neck, frown on his lips. "A-Ashton ran away, but f-friend's still in terrible place."

Luke's heart went out to the boy as he sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his damp hair. "I'm so sorry. Is your friend...are they like you? Are they a hybrid too?"

Ashton nodded and looked at him with glassy eyes. "Friend is-is Michael. So sweet and s-so sad cause Michael and Ashton's home w-wasn't a home and now he's still a-at bad home."

It was then that Luke understood now. Ashton somehow escaped wherever the hell their terrible home is and now he was trying to find his friend. He just have thought Michael was at the zoo, because that's where the animals were and since Michael is obviously a kitten hybrid as well, he thought Michael would be there.

Sadly, that wasn't true and Luke didn't know what to say. He wanted to help Ashton best he could, but for now, it was night and it was tiring and they had a long day. Maybe he can try to help Ashton, but the only way he can help right now is to hold him and tell him there was still hope.

"It'll be okay, Ashton. Is that why you ran off?" Luke asked curiously, soothingly rubbing him back.

There was a hesitant look in Ashton's eyes. "A-Ashton heard Luke wanted Ashton gone. A-And Ashton didn't w-want to be bad and s-stay."

Luke tensed and he looked at Calum through the rearview mirror. Obviously Calum heard this, because he had a look of guilt on his face and Luke slowly shook his head. He saw Ashton looked sad and he nervously bit his lip, but just pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead, trying to show his sincerity.

"I don't want you gone, Ashton. I promise, what was said isn't true. We...We were just thinking and I don't know how to assure you. But, I want you to stay with me, as long as you want to," Luke promised, loving the smile that bloomed on the sweet boy's face and he couldn't understand how he could not want this boy around.

Ashton giggled and clinged onto Luke again, tightly hugging him,"S-Stay forever, please."

And if that's what he wanted, then that's what he'll get. Luke didn't know if forever was possible, but maybe it could be for them. He just met this guy a week ago and now they're already best friends and unable to live without the other. It was sad how that happened, but also sweet.

Since the car ride was long, they did get bored and Calum kept sending apologetic and sad faces at Luke through the mirror. Luke wasn't falling for them. He was upset. Calum spoke terribly about Ashton and Ashton overheard it, causing him to feel unwanted which he should never feel.

Not to mention, Ashton's friend had been in danger and he was just worried about it. Luke didn't even know this other boy, but he already felt protective of him just like Ashton. It was like these hybrids were all so hurt and abused. He didn't know the whole story, but hopefully he can bring it out of Ashton eventually.

By the time they were at the street, Luke saw Ashton had passed out in his lap and the boy wasn't in his seatbelt still. He really needed to make that a more stern rule. However, Ashton looked so cute and his ears were twitching as he settled Luke ruffled his drying hair and fingers lightly brushed his ear to make it twitch.

When they got to the house, Luke didn't want to wake Ashton up. But, they had to shower anyways since it was raining and both were dirty from the mud after climbing under the fence. He sighed and turned to Ashton,lightly nudging him to wake up the boy as Calum watched with fond eyes.

Luke whispered to Ashton,"C'mon, Ash, get up. We're home."

"H-Home?" Ashton blinked is eyes open and pouted. "A-Ashton's tired and wants t-to cuddle."

"You can sleep after a shower, okay?" Luke promised, helping Ashton up and opening the door. He led Ashton out and told Calum,"Thanks for the help."

Calum heard the boredom in his tone and frowned. "Wait! Were all good, right?"

There was a long pause, a bit too long and Luke hesitated as he saw Ashton sleepily rubbing his eyes. He glanced at Calum and nodded timidly. Deep inside, both knew that Luke didn't mean it. However, Luke just led Ashton inside and he didn't want to deal with Calum at the moment.

It wasn't fair to be mad at Calum, since he was just looking out for Luke. But, after seeing how sad Ashton was over everything, he felt bad for his friend and how Ashton ran away because of what Calum said. It was hard not to be mad at him and blame Calum for everything. Even if it wasn't exactly his fault.

Luckily, the thoughts were broken as they went inside and Ashton walked sluggishly to the bathroom. Luke followed, seeing him set up a bath after learning all the controls and what to use to do what. He hesitated, knowing it might be better to just take a quick shower instead of a long bath.

Luke suggested this,"Ashton, maybe you should take a shower."

"A-Ashton doesn't like showers cause water gets in face like the c-crying sky," Ashton pointed up with a frown, timidly taking off the wet shirt.

The way he described rain made Luke smile and he shook his head. "You can put your back to the water, yeah? I promise, it's not that bad."

"W-Will Luke go in the shower with Ashton?" The boy asked with a begging tone, lightly gripping Luke's arm and his lip was jutted out in a sweet pout.

At first, Luke wanted to say no. Because, two guys showering together is not normal at all. He hesitated and said,"Ashton, I really don't think you wanna see me naked."

"A-Ashton likes being naked. Luke should, too," Ashton retorted with an insistent expression. 

Luke shook his head,"Eh, I'm ugly. Trust me, you don't wanna see this."

"U-Ugly? Luke? L-Luke is so pretty, never ugly," Ashton glared, smacking Luke's arm and Luke was surprised at the tears brimming the boy's eyes. "L-Luke shouldn't think he's ugly! N-Never think Luke is ugly, cause he's so pretty."

And, those compliments were not what he expected. Luke was blushing like mad. And, he kept wanting to say no. However, he knew Ashton would just beg for a bath and he didn't want Ashton to take so long since it's getting late and he has work. Plus, this would eliminate more time since he will also be showering.

So, Luke slowly nodded and Ashton grinned. Luke went to turn the shower on and he saw Ashton naked when turning. It was like was immune to the boy's body after seeing him naked more times than a person should. The problem was he didn't want Ashton to see him also naked.

Then again, he already has that one time he walked out of the shower. So, Luke stripped down and Ashton seemed so casual about seeing his penís as if it was nothing. That kind of made Luke feel weird and he turned, checking the water and making sure it wasn't too hot for Ashton or himself.

After it was all good, he got in and helped Ashton by taking his hand and getting him over the tub. Ashton flinched at the spraying water and Luke shushed him as he began to panic. "No, it's okay, Ashton. It's just water, I promise. It won't hurt you."

"W-Water is in Ashton's f-face," Ashton whined, trying to run out of the shower in a panic.

However, Luke grabbed his arm and soothingly rubbed his back. "It's okay, kitten. I promise, you'll be okay. How about I just wash your hair for you? Will that make you feel better?"

"D-Don't want water in face," He whimpered, hazel eyes staring at Luke and he was literally shaking and probably going to transform unless Luke soothes him more.

So, Luke nodded and he decided to just act as if Ashton was a baby getting a bath. He used a wash cloth and gently dampened the boy's hair. Which took forever, longer than it should have been. But, he managed and Ashton was sniffling quietly, naked body close to Luke's. Probably too close.

Luckily, they managed to get his hair washed and Luke smiled lightly at the way Ashton was humming and the tune sounded familiar. He didn't recall where it was from, but it was cute and he just listened while using his fingers to dig into Ashton's scalp that had dirt from when they were at the zoo.

After he was done, he rinsed his own hair and Ashton was staring at him with a patient expression. Luke felt himself blushing when Ashton's eyes went down to his lower area. Luke tried not to get self-conscious and kept himself occupied with the shower, but Ashton wouldn't stop staring and Luke was getting a little embarrassed.

Finally, Ashton asked innocently,"Why is A-Ashton's thing bigger than Luke's?"

"oh my--" Luke nearly choked and gasped as he got soap in his eyes, flinching and rushing to turn the water off with a cry of pain. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Ashton was frightened and asked with a scared voice,"L-Luke?! Luke is-is hurt, is Luke okay? W-Why is Luke crying?!"

"Ashton, please -- just get me a towel!"

"But, L-Luke is hurt!"

"Get me a fucking towel!" Luke shouted, not thinking of Ashton's feelings as his eyes stung to where he was crying without realizing it.

It's not that the pain hurt a lot, even though it did. It's just when something gets in your eyes, you automatically start crying and the burning was hurting him deeply. Men's shampoo probably hurts more than kids or women's, which really hurt when hitting his eyes so much from all the soap.

A towel was handed and Ashton's hand lightly grabbed Luke's arms as he blindly stepped out of the shower. He was surprised as Ashton gently helped him to the closed toilet seat and Luke thanked him quietly, lightly dabbing his eyes with the towel and knew his eyes were probably really red.

However, he wasn't worrying as much about that as he heard Ashton's small sniffles and frowned. He lowered the towel and saw Ashton looking at him worriedly, but with silent tears falling from his face. It was then Luke realized he had yelled at Ashton and he felt immensely guilty for forgetting Ashton was sensitive to a raised voice.

Luke spoke,"I'm sorry for yelling, kitten."

"K-Kitten?" Ashton was confused, voice slightly strained.

A small smile tugged at Luke's lips,"It's my name for you."

"Oh, A-Ashton likes it," Ashton admitted, having boxers on and handing Luke his pair. "And, L-Luke is um, forgiven?" He tested the word and Luke nodded. "L-Luke was just hurt, but is okay now?"

Luke nodded slowly and rubbed his sore eyes. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just worried I hurt your feelings. I shouldn't have yelled, are you mad at me?"

A gasp left Ashton's lips and he shook his head, sitting on Luke's lap which was becoming way too common now. "A-Ashton is never mad at Luke. A-Always so happy to have him. M-Makes Ashton so happy and want to sleep with tonight cause Luke is safe and makes him feel so warm inside."

And yeah, Ashton makes Luke feel warm inside too. With his soft voice and caring tone. With the way he just stares at Luke like he's the most amazing and smart person in the world. However, he wasn't sure that they should be sleeping together considering they're getting too comfortable around one another.

But, Ashton was asking and Luke couldn't deny his innocent request. They brushed their teeth together and Ashton sucked at doing so. But, Luke felt like helping him with that task was a bit too personal. Even if they did shower together naked and he had washed Ashton's hair for him.

And saw his díck maybe seven times.

Either way, he just smiled and they went into the bedroom together. It was quiet for a while and Luke saw Ashton was contemplating whether to sleep human or kitten. He then just shrugged and stayed human, probably thinking Luke might be more comfortable with that decision.

He honestly was, since he was afraid he might squish Ashton in the middle of the night if he was a kitten. Imagine how terrifying that would be to wake up to a flatten kitten that looked like a pancake. It was probably not the best image to imagine and that's why Luke preferred this.

When Ashton rolled over, Luke said sternly,"We will stay on each other's side of the bed tonight, okay? I think it might be best if we just get comfortable not being so cuddly."

"B-But, Ashton l-likes cuddles," Ashton pouted.

However, Luke shook his head and gently brushed Ashton's wet hair, avoiding his ears. "Yeah, but it's just a small test. I want to see if we can make it okay? Night, Ashton."

He rolled over onto his side and his back faced Ashton. There was a small pause and then he heard a small 'night' before he turned off the lights. He didn't know why, but it was really hard for him to sleep that night. Whether it be because Ashton was with him and he hasn't been in a bed with someone in a couple years or just from his constant thoughts.

Ashton's hybrid friend was on his mind and he really wanted to hear more about him and why this had happened. What the cause of the running away was. Because, if Ashton loved his friend so much, why leave him? Was he hoping to save him? Why did he run so far away then? All these questions made Luke know he needed more answers.

Maybe he can try to help Ashton find his friend, but he needed to think that through more. He didn't know how far away this friend was or where he might be. It made him feel bad for Ashton, though. This Michael guy was probably the only family he had and that person may not be alive anymore. He hoped he was, though.

As of now, he was just worried about getting attached. Though, he probably already was and that's why he tried avoiding all these problems that were happening. But, despite telling Ashton he didn't want to cuddle, Luke didn't push him away when Ashton scooted closer to him and snuggling his face into Luke's neck with a deep sigh and content purr that made Luke's face flush red. If anything, he just smiled and well, he was glad Ashton was back and safe.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the next day for Luke and he was a little lost on how to deal with everything. Being as young as he is and never having responsibility before, he suddenly was given some and didn't know what to do with it. How to help Ashton, how to know if he even had to help.

Maybe he didn't have to, but he did want to and that was something, wasn't it? He really did feel this urge to make sure Ashton's friend was safe. It was for selfish reasons, being that he just wanted to be the reason Ashton smiled, but at least he was willing to help for a reason.

The problem? Luke didn't know how to help him. He didn't know anything and that was an issue since (if he wanted to help) he needed some details on the situation that was a huge thing. He was literally trying to find a hybrid and those are rare in general, let alone trying to find a certain hybrid.

And if he's being honest, Ashton...isn't very smart. He's not dumb, he's just dense and doesn't know know how to help or anything. He can barely speak properly, so Luke didn't know how to get him to describe what he needed and he's also easily distracted. Which was the worse, considering Luke needed him to focus on finding his friend.

Because of this, he had to bring him somewhere to get him to talk. Ashton would be walking around and watching TV or falling asleep on the couch if he tried to talk to him at home. Plus, Luke didn't have any food at home and didn't feel like cooking anyways, so going out would be nice.

He didn't know where to go with Ashton and wasn't sure if Ashton ever went out for dinner before in general, so he was a little lost on what this meant. He knew Ashton was going to be amused and amazed by all the details of the diner, which would be adorable to see.

However, he really needed to make sure Ashton didn't do anything that gave away his hybrid persona. Hybrids were known, but not welcomed. They were like Kardashian fans and Luke pitied them all. One slip up revealing their personality and they were attacked and taken to be experimented on.

When he told Ashton they were going out, he seemed really happy and was also a little flustered still. Luke recalled waking up to Ashton all over him and cuddling him like a koala, so he figured that was why. It was cute, though. Seeing Ashton being all happy just because they were going out for dinner.

Work was boring like usual and he wasn't sure he remembered if he talked to Calum at all. He was going to need his help with this, finding the hybrid. But, he needed the information from Ashton first. So, he texted Calum that they were coming by later after dinner and Calum just typed 'want fooood' and Luke said he'll get him some.

He then let Ashton play flappy bird again and he worked for a few hours. He would need to get some days off, but it depended on how many he needed. If this hybrid was just an hour away, he won't need any. But, if he's like, across the continent, then yeah, he'll need time.

After work, Luke and Ashton stopped at home so Luke could change. He doesn't care what people think, but he still likes to look decent in public and didn't want any eyes on them if he looked like shit. Once he was in some decent skinny jeans and a plain shirt, he and Ashton went to a nice restaurant.

It wasn't anything too fancy, considering he didn't want to look out of place. But, it was nice and Luke had just enough to get some nice food. He took Ashton's hand and led him through and Ashton giggled as he followed behind like a cutie pie he is. He had on a fedora instead of a beanie that Luke found in his closet.

He had it when he and Calum went to a costume party and he went as a pimp. Don't ask why. He was just really into being a pimp at the time and Calum was his prostitute. A male one, of course. Because, they do exist. It was really amusing and he chuckled at the memory.

Ashton frowned,"What is f-funny?"

"Nothing," Luke smiled and sat down, motioning for Ashton to sit across from him.

There was a pause and Ashton slowly shook his head with a pout. He pleaded,"C-Can Ashton sit with? Ashton w-wants to sit next to Luke."

Luke chuckled and nodded, scooting over so Ashton could be next to him. Ashton grinned happily as he sat close to Luke, clinging onto his arm. Luke raised an eyebrow, but just shrugged it off and took the menu they were given when walking in and trying to find something Ashton might like.

He didn't really know what the type of food they have was, but tried to look at what they had inside the food. He knew Ashton liked mac n' cheese and milk and such. But, he didn't know what else he wanted. There wasn't pizza, but maybe Ashton would like some pasta.

He then went to try and find his order, humming quietly when hearing the soft music being played by the band that was around. Luke didn't know if Ashton cared, but he really did like the song playing and Ashton didn't seem to mind his quiet humming. If anything, he leaned in and slightly nuzzled his head on Luke's shoulder.

The waitress came by and she grinned, saying,"Hi, my name is Rachel and I'll be your waitress for the night. What can I get you to drink?"

"He'll have a lemonade and I'll take a coke, please," He said sweetly, then the lady nodded and wrote it down. When she left, Luke turned and saw Ashton grinning at him like always. "So, we have something to talk about and I need you to be very honest with me, okay?"

Ashton nodded,"Honest, y-yes."

Luke held back an adored sigh and just took Ashton's hand, saying,"Now, you told me you were looking for your friend, Michael. I don't quite understand that. Is your friend lost?" Ashton shook his head. "You said he was still home? So, do you know where home is? Are you able to go?"

"A-Ashton doesn't know. Home w-was far?" He said, but it was more of a question, like he was trying to remember.

A frown formed on Luke's face, brushing his thumb against the back of the boy's hand. "Far? Ashton, did you runaway? Can you tell me how you got here? How long have you been here? Sorry if that's a lot, I'm just trying to help you. I don't want you to be sad."

The kitten-boy looked down and shrugged,"A-Ashton took a bus-thingy and w-was trying to go away. Because, home was scary and made him sad. M-Michael told Ashton to leave and c-come back for him. Michael is so sweet. Always g-gave Ashton hugs and wanted him safe. And, A-Ashton didn't keep him safe."

"Aw, Ashton, I'm sure he knew you were going to come back for him. We'll find him. Just, how long has it been?" Luke was slightly panicked, scared of the response.

Ashton furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully,"Um, A-Ashton doesn't know. It's been long. D-Days?"

"How long since I met you?" Luke was getting annoyed at how vague Ashton is, but trying not to be annoyed or upset.

Luckily, Ashton started to count off his fingers as he hesitated. "Many? O-Over six."

Over six meant it's been at least more than two weeks since Ashton's been with Luke over a week. He was scared that this Michael person might not be okay or maybe he's hurt or what if they moved? He didn't know anymore and was worried about freaking out in case Ashton would panic as well.

Instead of worrying too much, he asked Ashton,"You said you took a bus, how long was the ride? Do you remember where you came from?"

"Place c-called something with a 'D' in it. Spent almost w-whole day on bus," Ashton grinned proudly.

That was very vague, however he said it was far and the time can very much help. Maybe if Luke finds some places that start with a D and are really far, he'll list them and Ashton can remember. It was risky, but worth the try and at least Ashton might find his friend.

Luckily, the waitress came by before he could over think anything and he saw Ashton was happy with his lemonade. Luke said the order he wanted and he took out his phone, figuring they should do something fun before going to Calum's place. He got Calum something small, so he would just need to microwave it.

He remembered he told Ashton he would go see the Minions movie with him and was glad the movie was still out. He wasn't the biggest fan, but he knew Ashton would love it and checked some times. If they eat fast, they could catch the eight o'clock show and get to Calum's by around ten thirty.

When the food arrived, Luke told Ashton with a smile,"Remember when I said we would see the movie for the little Minions together?" Ashton hesitated, then remembered and nodded. "Well, we need to eat fast so we can see it, okay? It st-- wait, no! Don't eat too fast, you'll choke."

Ashton sheepishly slowed down his eating and wiped some sauce from his lip. Luke laughed and rolled his eyes, making sure Ashton didn't eat like a maniac again. He found it adorable how excited Ashton was. Has he ever been to the movies? He needed to give him the full experience.

Hopefully Ashton wasn't too full for popcorn, because that's an essential when at the movies. He saw Ashton nearly finished his pasta and practically gaped. But, then again, Luke had a bigger meal and he tried to catch up to Ashton without throwing up his food.

When he was done, he paid for the check and Ashton used his straw to drink the lemonade, giggling at the bubbles it made when he blew the straw. Luke raised an eyebrow, then tensed when seeing Ashton's lips around the straw. It looked a little too sexual and he timidly took the cup from him, causing Ashton to pout.

But, then Ashton remembered the movie and grabbed Luke's hand, tugging him outside. The drive to the movies was very interesting and Ashton kept pushing buttons again. Luke was smart enough to take away the dirty Nicki CD's and he needed to scold Calum for that.

However, Ashton turned on the radio and thankfully, Selena Gomez played. Luke was relieved and Ashton seemed entranced in the song and Luke recognized it was her new song. Ashton giggled as the song played and nodded his head with a grin on his face.

Then he was confused,"S-She's a carrot?"

"No, like a karat."

"S-She is...carrot?"

"It's complicated, just listen to the song," Luke sighed, not good at explaining things and Ashton innocently continued listening to the song.

When A$AP Rocky came on, Ashton blinked in confusion and looked as though the song changed. But, Selena came back on and Ashton did this cute shoulder thing with the beat and looked like he enjoyed it. Honestly, Luke didn't like pop music, so he didn't care for it, but he knew he'll have to get use to pop since Ashton seems to enjoy it.

By the time they got to the movies, it was almost eight and Ashton followed Ashton to the theater. Luke paid for their tickets and yeah, he got the 3D ones since he wanted to see Ashton's reactions. Ashton was looking around the theater and holding Luke's hand since he didn't want to be lost.

When Luke handed the man their tickets, he saw the judgment in his eyes and glared at him. The man faked a grin and didn't even say anything. Luke rolled his eyes. Homophobes. He led Ashton to the snack counter and waited in line. Ashton's hand was getting a little sweaty, but Luke didn't want to move it since it was comfortable holding hands. He just liked knowing Ashton was safe.

He asked Ashton as they got close to the counter,"What do you want? Candy wise?"

"C-Chocolate?" Ashton hesitated, not sure if it was candy.

Luke nodded and figured they will get reeses pieces. He got the candy and popcorn, extra butter. They would just share a drink. He was cheap. Once they were done, he thanked the lady and they went to the theater. Ashton took the candy and let go of Luke's hand.

It was cold.

But, he tried not to get upset over that , since it would be silly to get sad over a lost hand. Ashton followed behind and took a reeses pieces, chewing it with a grin. Luke chuckled at his reaction and they went into the dark theater. Luke nearly jumped when Ashton grabbed onto the back of his shirt in fear.

Luke forgot he hates the dark and he wrapped an arm around his waist, giving it a comfortable squeeze. Ashton snuggled close and the theater was basically empty except for a couple that was in the back, a couple old ladies and two kids with their parents.

They sat in the middle section and Ashton was confused when handed glasses. "Sunglasses? B-But no sun?"

Luke told him quietly as he put his own on,"It's to make things 3D? So they look like they're in front of you."

"Is L-Luke 3D?" Ashton asked innocently, leaning closer with the glasses on. "D-Doesn't look 3D."

Luke's breath hitched at how close they were. He hesitated and eyes glanced to Ashton's lips, but just grinned,"Nope, I'm here so I can't be 3D."

Ashton giggled, poking Luke's cheek. "D-Dimples?"

Luke nodded and he handed Ashton some popcorn as the previews played. He wasn't sure if Ashton cared for them, but then a movie for a girl group came on and the One Direction song played and Ashton seemed to like them. He figured he should show him their music. Or Calum would, since he's more into that

Speaking of, he told Calum they were going to be late and Calum wasn't pleased. So, Luke promised to refill the popcorn cause they're at the movies and Calum reluctantly agreed. Luke chuckled and saw Ashton was almost done with the reeses already, stuffing them in his face.

Soon, the movie began and Ashton gasped at the 3D effects. Luke couldn't see much of a difference, but that was probably since he's use to it and always watches movies in 3D most of the time. He just leaned back and watched Ashton rather than the movie. Because, his reactions were the best and maybe the movie wasn't amazing, but Ashton was.

-

"Banana!"

"Ashton."

"Ba-Ba-Banana!"

"Ashton..."

"King Bobbb!"

Luke sighed deeply as they walked into Calum's house, mentally rolling his eyes. Then actually rolling his eyes when Ashton started singing the banana song. He didn't hate Ashton's singing, but considering he sang the song the whole time back from the movies, it was quite annoying.

When they went inside, Calum looked up from the video game he was playing and grimaced at the Minions teddy bear Luke got Ashton. Ashton saw it in the store they walked passed on the way to the car. He did the pouty face and Luke couldn't say no to that.

It was just a plush Bob teddy bear, so it wasn't that expensive. However, Calum snorted when he saw it and smirked. He obviously knew Luke was whipped and Luke just flicked him off as he shut the door and took Ashton's beanie. Ashton seemed realized when his ears were let free.

Ashton continued to repeat the word 'bello' which Luke didn't understand what he meant. He really hoped it wasn't a bad word, but it sounded like it was spanish or something. He really should know considering he took spanish, but he just shrugged it off and jumped on the couch Calum was on.

Calum sighed deeply,"So, you saw the Minions movie?"

"Bobbb!" Ashton mocked the minion's voice and giggled when Luke grinned. He crawled on the couch and told Calum happily,"M-Minions so cute. A-Ashton wants a minion, but minions f-fake. So, h-have to get stuffed Bob. A-Ashton wants a real B-Bob, cause B-Bob so cute and cuddly."

A pout formed on Calum's face,"Hey, I can be cute and cuddly."

Ashton shook his head and laughed, showing his plush Bob teddy bear,"Nooo, Bob so c-cute! Wants to cuddle and hug him f-forever. He c-carries teddy and is like a baby!" He then remembered his favorite scene and exclaimed,"Boo ya, boo ya! B-Boo ya! B-Bob so cute!"

"I haven't seen the movie, so I'm just thinking of Cyborg from Teen Titans saying boo ya," Calum shrugged, looking at Ashton like he's mentally insane.

Luke saw he was confused and he told Ashton,"Hey, kitten, why don't you go get Calum's food from the table and put it in the microwave?" Ashton looked lost and Luke explained,"The thing that makes beeping sounds. Push the green button and it should work. Wait till it's done, okay?"

Ashton nodded happily and stumbled out of the room while shouting banana. He reminded Luke of a little kid and it was cute, but sometimes made him feel weird knowing Ashton's díck was bigger than his. He shook the thoughts away and saw Calum smirking at him.

"Kitten?"

"Shut up!" Luke whined, covering his face with his hands. "Oh, by the way, I forgot your popcorn." Before Calum could kill him, Luke quickly said,"Listen, we have a mission on our hands. Can you get your laptop? I need to look something up."

Calum nodded and got up, going to grab his laptop from his room. While he did so, Luke smiled when hearing Ashton singing 'ba ba ba ba ba baaa' which was a minions version of that dumb song that plays in the beginning of some movies. Luke snorted as Ashton paused, forgetting the rest and just restarted.

When Calum returned, he had his laptop and handed it to Luke as he sat back down. Luke opened it up and gasped as he saw a girl riding a guy's díck on some porno website. Calum frantically grabbed it and pressed random buttons as moans were heard, blushing like an idiot as he closed out of the website.

Luke blinked.

Calum cleared his throat as he handed it back,"U-Uh, stupid adds."

"Mhmm," Luke tsked as he shook his head, trying to get the disturbingly hot image out of his mind. "Anyways...Ashton was trying to look for his friend, which I'm guessing you know. And he said he's in some city with Australia that starts with a D. I figure there's not too many cities that start with that."

Calum shrugged, typing it on Google and grinned. "Nope, we should be able to narrow it down."

"He said it took a day to get here, so I'm guessing he was coming from Western Australia? Maybe the north?" Luke pointed around the border and Calum nodded.

He did his thing and Ashton soon returned with the food Luke got Calum. Ashton put it down and got up on the couch. Luke saw him staring and then Ashton timidly scooted closer and suddenly plopped his head down on Luke's lap. A small smile tugged at Luke's lips as he brushed his fingers through Ashton's hair.

Ashton spoke quietly,"Ashton j-just likes cuddles."

"Aren't you the sweetest thing ever?" Luke chuckled, lightly brushing his finger against Ashton's kitten ear and fondly listened as Ashton made a purring sound. He glanced at Calum's laptop and asked curiously,"Find any places? Some that have a bus from here to there?"

"Most you would take two buses, so I narrowed it down. Hey, Ashton!" Ashton jumped up and Calum grinned,"Alright, do any of these places sound familiar. Dampier," Ashton shook his head,"Devonport," Ashton shook his head,"Darwin--" Ashton's eyes lit up and Calum asked frantically,"Darwin? Is your friend in Darwin?"

"Yes, D-Darwin! Ashton's from Darwin, where is Darwin? How does he get to Darwin?" Ashton asked in excitement, climbing on Luke's lap and Luke's face flushed red as Ashton snuggled close to him to look at the laptop as if awaiting a magical potion to bring him there.

Calum hesitated,"I-I don't think we can afford this, Luke. It's a forty four hour drive without traffic. Are we seriously going to go all the way out there? And, it's going to be raining, we'd need a lot of money and we'll have to stop at hotels. It's going to take forever."

Ashton's eyes began brimming with tears as he turned to Luke,"N-Not going to find Michael? No! I need to fin-find Michael. M-Michael's just so alone and needs friend."

"No, Ashton it'll be okay. We'll find him, I promise," Luke assured, lightly brushing a stray tear that fell from Ashton's pretty eyes. "We'll find your friend."

But, Ashton turned to Calum and he saw the boy not seeming to believe that. Ashton quickly got up and Luke blinked, seeing him in kitten form instantly. Ashton rushed out of the room and disappeared down the hall. He sighed deeply, giving his friend a glare and Calum held his hands in defense.

"I'm just being realistic, Luke. Are you actually going to spend all this money on some boy you met barely two weeks ago? You don't even know him, and I know you care about him. But, honestly, this is going to cost so much money," Calum reminded with a raised eyebrow.

Luke groaned,"I know, I know. But, I have the money and...I was thinking maybe it could be fun. We'll go on a trip together and it'll be like a road trip, you know? Just not as fun as the ones in america. We'd stop at some hotels, maybe go to the beach and just enjoy ourselves. I asked you to help because I was hoping you'd go with me."

Calum hesitated and Luke knew he was a bit skeptical of Ashton still. He didn't blame him. Calum was protective and just wanted what was best for Luke. Having this stranger in their lives and suddenly letting him take over was risky, but Luke really wanted this.

Lately, their friendship was on the rocks and maybe this trip can help them. It can make them rebound and created some memories for them while also getting to know Ashton. The boy can take cat naps. Literally. And while he's sleeping, Luke and Calum can get to know one another again.

When Calum realized this, he slowly nodded as Luke gave him those puppy eyes. Luke grinned, tackling his friend in a hug and Calum laughed. As long as Luke paid for everything, he didn't have much to do anyways. Calum wasn't a busy person and a road trip did sound fun.

As Luke called Ashton into the room, Calum began looking up some short cuts to Darwin, Australia and Luke saw Ashton return in the room. Ashton wore his boxers and nothing else. He sluggishly walked over and when Luke grinned, Ashton noticed right away and rushed over.

"G-Going to find Michael?" Ashton asked with a hopeful gaze as he went on the couch.

Calum answered for him,"We're trying to. We have to find a good route and Luke needs to make sure he can get the time off. It'll probably take a week if we're going to stop every night. Forty six hours if we're going through south Australia since it's easier and less traffic."

"But, it's quicker to go through Queensland."

"Traffic, Luke. Traffic," Calum scoffed and explained,"Plus, I'm pretty sure there's more sights to see around there. Queensland is more of a tourist place."

"I don't think it is," Luke retorted, then saw Ashton's confused face. "We're just trying to find a way to get to Michael. Now, Michael is like you, right? He turns into a kitten?"

Ashton giggled,"Michael is p-pretty hybrid."

"Is he your age?" Luke asked in confusion. "Wait, how old are you? I can't believe I never asked this before."

There was a pause as Ashton thought it over,then shrugged. "Ashton's...nineteen? And M-Michael is younger by year. Ashton t-thinks. Can't remember."

Calum snorted,"Never knew someone could forget their age."

"He didn't forget," Luke scoffed, petting Ashton's head like a cute kitten cause well, Ashton is a cute kitten. "Now, kitten, why don't you take a nap while me and Calum try to figure out some money and time and stuff? Just stay quiet, yeah?"

Ashton nodded and laid his head in Luke's lap,"T-Thanks, Luke."

A smile formed on Luke's face and he just turned to the screen, arguing quietly with Calum about prices and gas and time management. They were going to stop about four times there and three times back. They needed sleep and they'll stay the night at hotels, so that'll cost a lot on its own.

However, this meant the Michael person would be with them three times and staying in the room. Would he get three beds? Or just two? Would Calum mind sharing a bed? He hoped not, cause Luke doesn't want to sleep with Calum. He kicks in his sleep.

In the end, they decided to go through Queensland since they wanted to stop by the beach and the weather was better during that time. The money was tight and he knew he could get a week off, so everything was set in place and they'll leave the day after tomorrow.

Luke didn't know what to expect with this trip. He'll be with his best friend and his new friend. Was it going to be hectic and annoying like most trips? Probably, but as Ashton nuzzled his nose against Luke's neck, he felt his breath hitch and sheepishly smiled. He knew it was going to be one hell of a ride, but hopefully it'll be worth it.


	8. Chapter 8

It's no secret that Calum doesn't like Ashton and it's not that he hates him. It's very complicated, but sometimes Calum is a very easily attached person.He can be considered clingy and always wanting to be around people he likes. So, that's why he doesn't like Ashton.

Considering Calum is basically on his own in life now, he was use to being around Luke and only Luke. Now, his parents are living in New Zealand, so it's not like they died. But, he still felt very upset and like they weren't around since they never call and he felt like they don't love him anymore.

Calum assumed and basically hoped that Ashton would have left by now. Because, lately Luke has been hanging out with Ashton and always with him. Literally, he hasn't seen Luke without Ashton around ever since the boy walked into his life and it was irritating Calum.

He knew it wasn't Luke or Ashton's fault. He didn't want Ashtn to leave or get hurt in any way, but he just wished the boy would not be so connected. It was like they were at the hips and Luke never left Ashton alone. He won't even leave him home alone without being there.

Obviously Ashton is a litte...lost. He won't say dumb, because he's sure Ashton can be smart when he puts effort into what he does. But, he's not all high in intelligence and there are some points where he's proven he's a bit of an idiot. But, he's also very sweet and caring and he's shown that he cares for Luke.

Ashton wasn't mean or rude, so Calum had no reason to hate him. He only disliked the boy because he stole his friend. Calum knew Luke still loved him and they were going on a road trip together. But, it's with Ashton. And the road trip is for Ashton and fuck, he was -- he was jealous. He admits it. He's envious of Ashton.

It's not the 'i love you, why are you so attached to him?' jealous. It's the 'you're my friend and I feel like we'll drift' envy. Because, jealousy is wanting something you never had and envy is being afraid to lose something you have. And Calum has Luke and he's just afraid to lose him.

All he ever wanted in life is to have a best friend and now that he has one, he might lose him. He already knew Luke was in love with Ashton. Despite them only knowing the hybrid for almost two weeks, it's obvious Luke loves him. But, he doesn't know it yet and Ashton doesn't seem to even know what love is.

And Calum is doing this just for Luke. He's not doing anything for the hybrid, only for his friend. He's stuck between wanting to slap and hug Luke after being told they were going on this road trip and the blonde just had to add more to it. To do this even after knowing Calum obviously doesn't like Ashton.

He, of all people, was basically forced to 'babysit' Ashton. He didn't even like the boy, but here he was, sitting in a room and watching Ashton run around in circles while being in a kitten form and he contemplated leaving the boy and running away. But, Ashton was a kitten and when he was a kitten, he's just easier to take care of.

However, he's still an annoying little pest and Calum found himself wondering why Luke even likes Ashton. But, then the boy crawled up on the couch and was meowing adorably and okay, maybe he's cute. Just a little cute, though. Like when an annoying kid smiles and somehow it's cute.

While Ashton was running around and meowing like crazy, Calum went to his room and he started packin up. Luke was at work and trying to convince his boss to have a week off. It was ridiculous, but that's how long it was going to take when you include nights off at hotels.

Most people would just drive straight to Darwin, but Luke wanted to bond along the way and they decided to stay three nights in hotels and one day to find Michael and then three nights back with Michael. They may shorten it if problems occur, but they will hopefully keep up with it all.

Considering he had no idea what the weather was like anywhere else in the world (or just in Australia and he was lazy to look it up) Calum was struggling with clothes and just grabbed basically everything and shoved it in his bag. He knew he needed pajamas, pants and swim trunks. So, he mainly got those and boxers.

Calum sighed as he heard his phone ring and grabbed it. He saw it was Luke and rolled his eyes, answering with a gruff,"What do you want? Your cat is fine."

"He's a boy!" Luke retorted. "But, I just called to say I got the week off. I'll be off around eight. But, can you fill your gas tank and get Ashton some swimming trunks? Oh and I have a list I left on your table. It's everything we need for the trip. I'll pay you back when I get home."

Calum groaned,"Luke, I don't want to take Ashton to the store."

"C'mon, you guys need to get along. He seems to like you and I thought you were finally warming up to him. You talked fine with him yesterday," Luke pointed out. "He's a little shy around you as it is. Just ask him about the Minions and maybe get him a toy?"

The response made Calum snort,"What is he, five?"

"He's...sort of mentally seven? I don't know. He just likes the minions. I think they have a blanket or pillow with them at the mall? So, maybe get that for him. I promise, I have money so I will give you everything back. I gotta go, keep him safe for me," Luke pleaded, and Calum imagined him pouting.

He grimaced,"He'll be fine. Gosh, you're sickeningly in love."

"I am not i--"

"Bye, Luke!"

After hanging up, Calum smirked and put his phone away. He really loved annoying Luke. It was just fun to tease and taunt him. Because, perhaps Luke isn't fully in love yet, but he definitely has a crush on Ashton. Why else would he be so protective and nearly cry when he thought Ashton ran away? It's turning into love.

But, then Calum grimaced when he realized he had to take Ashton to the mall. It's not that he doesn't want to go to the mall, he loves shopping. However, he didn't want take Ashton since he knew something might go wrong and he would be blamed for whatever.

When the boy headed out of the room, he saw Ashton...naked on the floor and waiting TV with ease. Calum opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. Ashton looked up and smiled, criss-crossed on the floor and Calum wondered if his bum feels itchy cause um, the floor isn't very comfortable.

He awkwardly tried not to look at Ashton's private bits and cleared his throat,"Uh, we need to go to the store. So, can you change and we're gonna go and get you some swimming trunks and other stuff." Ashton frowned and Calum added with a grin,"Luke said you could get a Minion blanket?"

"Bobbbb!" Ashton squealed and got up, tackling Calum and fuck-- he's still naked. "C-Calum gets Ashton Bob?"

Calum awkwardly patted his head, trying to ignore how Ashton's private parts were touching his through the jeans. "U-Uh, yeah. Just-- Okay, um, go and change. I'll wait for you."

Ashton giggled and ran off, his -- well, something was bouncing and it wasn't his curls. Calum wondered how Luke dealt with this. Ashton just really loves to be naked and Calum does too, but Ashton acts like it's so normal. He just hugged Calum while not having any clothes on.

The guy grumbled as he felt himself being half-hard. It's not his fault. His body instantly gets aroused from seeing someone naked. It's just a natural thing. Like how even though Calum is gay, if he saw a girl naked, he would get a little aroused. Naked makes his mind think sex, so.

When Ashton was done getting dressed, he returned with a jacket on and black skinnies and his red sweater. Calum grabbed a beanie that Luke insisted Ashton wore. Calum went over and tugged it on Ashton's head. Ashton winced and pouted at the pressure put on his kitten ears.

By the time they got to the car, it was around six in the evening and Calum was prepared for Luke to call again soon since he basically calls constantly. Plus, he was probably going to make sure they were going to the mall even if he just called. So, Calum led Ashton out and locked the door, going to the car.

Ashton got in the front, passenger said and Calum got in the driver's side. He turned the car on and Ashton sat quietly, head leaned against the window and Calum headed out. He was a bit awkward with the silence and hummed quietly while trying not to feel uncomfortable.

However, it was all too weird and he turned the radio on. It was all the same shit, so he went to his CD and smirked when hearing it was Nicki. He knew Luke didn't like Ashton hearing her since she's inappropriate' but this is what he gets. Calum now knew how to have some fun.

He played the dirtiest song he could find and Ashton perked up as music played. Calum sang along in an obnoxious tone," What could I do to kick it off how bout I come all on your díck and then I lick it off. I mean it's something so funny when it get soft I like to play with it...Squeeze it like a stress ball he say he like to hear the sound of me slurpin it!"

"W-What's díck?" Ashton asked innocently, nodding his head along.

Calum smirked,"Um, something nice to play with." At least he's not lying.

Ashton grinned,"C-Can Ashton have one?"

"You already do," Calum snorted, eyeing the boy as he turned a corner. "Here, sing with me!"

Ashton giggled as he nodded and listened to the song. He tried repeating after Calum,"M-My deep throat have you.. squirting like a w-water gun!" Ashton clapped his hands,"Did it! More!" Calum hid a laugh as he had Ashton keep repeating,"C-Coochie over flowing.. like somebody let the faucet r-run."

Calum muttered,"Damn, Luke is gonna murder me."

"W-What's coochie?"

A loud laugh left Calum's lips as he replied,"You don't need to know."

"Ashton wants t-to know."

"Ashton can't know."

A pout formed on Ashton's lips, but he reluctantly slouched and Ashton learned a lot of new words. Many of which Calum needs to thank Nicki for. He knew this was corrupting the young boy, but is it really? Because, Ashton doesn't know what they mean, so it didn't matter.

When they got to the mall, it was a bit dark out and Calum sighed as he got out. He grabbed his phone and tucked it while grabbing his wallet as well. After making sure he had everything, the two entered and Ashton nervously followed. He seemed a little scared despite it not being busy.

Calum wasn't use to Ashton,so he didn't understand his facial expressions or knew when something was wrong. So, he just shrugged it off and tried not to worry too much. But, then Calum was surprised when feeling fingers brush against his and a shaky hand grab his hand.

Calum flinched and snatched his hand away,"Ashton, no."

"B-But, L-Luke holds Ashton's hand," Ashton pleaded, holding his hand out with a scared face. "D-Don't want to get lost forever. C-Calum hold Ashton's hand please?"

And well, Calum didn't want to do it. He felt weird holding people's hands. It just always felt awkward and uncomfortable. He didn't like fingers being linked with his, sweaty and clammy palms pressed together or just being latched to someone. But, he didn't want to cause a scene.

He's gay, so he didn't care if he 'looked gay' holding hands with a guy. But, it still was weird to hold hands with a guy even if he's attracted to the gender. Ashton was really sweet about it, though. He just smiled and clinged to Calum and Calum knew Luke would be so jealous when hearing about this.

Then again, Luke did insist they went to the mall together. And he deserved some torture every now and again. A smirk formed on Calum's lips because this would be an amazing thing to brag about. He really loved to make Luke all mad and steamy over situations.

For the rest of the shopping experience, Calum made sure to always hold Ashton's hand and be really touchy with him. He had Ashton try on tons of swimming trunks and if Luke found out, then even better. He wanted to make this good. A jealous Luke is a hilarious Luke.

-

When Luke got off of work, he was a bit scared to go home. He knew Calum texted and said that Ashton got his swimming trunks, but what kind? Do they fit? Did he try them on? If they have to get a new size, it'll change all the plans and Luke was too on schedule to do that.

He didn't have little faith in Calum, but considering everything, he knew his friend probably did something bad while he was at work. He doesn't like Ashton a lot, so of course he took advantage of the situation and probably caused trouble with everything. Calum's that type of person.

But, then Luke left work and he grabbed chinese on the way home in hopes of the boys not getting anything so that he can feed them. He got the best orders so that Ashton will like it. He didn't know if Ashton liked chinese, but he probably never tried it and Luke wanted him to try some new things.

By the time he got home, it was around nine and he grimaced at the time. They had to leave at five in the morning and he hated going to bed earlier considering he's use to staying up late. But, then again, things were changing ever since Ashton came into Luke's life.

When he got home, Luke saw that Ashton was on the couch and cuddled in a minions throw blanket. It was long and yellow and there were the three main minions on it. Ashton's kitten ears were perked up when the door had opened and Ashton's bright, hazel eyes stared at him with a twinkle.

Luke knew he was going to be trampled on, so he frantically put down the food as Ashton ran over. The boy tackled him in a hug and Luke chuckled fondly as the boy cuddled close, nose nuzzling against Luke's neck and purring happily. The sound was still hard to get use to, but Luke smiled and tried not to shiver as Ashton's hot breath fanned his neck.

Ashton said gleefully,"A-Ashton got stuff!"

"Oh, really? What did you get?" Luke asked, trying to nonchalant look for Calum.

Ashton grabbed his hand and led him over to the couch,"A-Ashton got blanket that Calum s-said Luke said A-Ashton could get!" There were way too many names said, but Luke got the gist of it. Ashton held up blanket,"M-Minions! Soft and comfy? S-So soft, A-Ashton is warm when cuddled."

A smile tugged at Luke's lips as he brushed his hand over the blanket. "Yep, very soft. Kitten, do you know where Calum is? We have to make sure everything is packed."

Ashton nodded frantically, taking Luke's hand and leading him towards the back room. Calum was passed out on a pile of clothes and Luke rolled his eyes. Typical. Ashton could have easily ran away or someone could have knocked on the door and took Ashton. Maybe he's overreacting, but Luke told Calum to watch him.

Luke glanced at Ashton and asked,"How long has he been sleeping?"

"A-Ashton doesn't know," Ashton shrugged, sitting on the bed. "A-Ashton's been watching Musical."

Luke furrowed his eyebrows,"Musical?"

"About h-high school?"

"Oh, High School Musical. Zac is so hot," Luke chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Ashton and led him into the kitchen to get his food ready.

Ashton frowned,"H-Hot? Is on fire?! Burning?"

"No, like...attractive? Pretty? Good looking?" Luke tried explaining as he put some rice and meat on a plate for Ashton to eat. He didn't know what Ashton liked, but he hoped it was something like this. He just got sweet and sour chicken and simple foods.

Ashton hesitated,"Hot is b-beautiful?" Luke paused, but nodded. "Ooh, like L-Luke? L-Luke is hot."

"Oh," Luke's eyes widened a bit and he blushed."Thanks."

He wasn't sure what to say when Ashton giggled, so he decided to say nothing and just got their food warmed up. Ashton went back into the living room to watch High School Musical and curl up with his minions plush toy and blanket. He looked like a little baby.

Luke smiled as he watched Ashton. The boy was bobbing his head to the song 'Getcha Head in the Game' and he was dancing cutely with his shoulders. He was seriously the most adorable person on earth and Luke wondered how he was lucky enough to be around such a sweet person.

A beep was heard and Luke looked over to see the food was done heating up. He grinned, grabbing it and headed back to where he saw Ashton was humming to the song. Luke sat down and he handed Ashton his plate. But, the boy gasped and winced as he grabbed it, nearly dropping the plate on the ground.

Luke snatched it and muttered,"Sorry, sorry. It's hot."

"N-Not attractive!"

"No, like burns hot?" Luke then shook his head. "Never mind, wait till it cools."

Ashton timidly nodded and scooted over so he was snuggled up next to the boy. Luke felt bad and grabbed his hand, seeing it was fine and didn't get burned or anything. He paused, pressing his lips to the palm and Ashton giggled as he looked up with a small smile.

For a while, they were quiet and no one spoke as they watched the movie. Ashton leaned his head on Luke's shoulder and a few minutes later, Ashton got his plate and ate quietly. He grimaced a little when eating the chicken, but just continued anyways politely. It made Luke happy knowing the boy had manners, but he didn't make him finish the chicken since he didn't like it.

When Luke ate as well, the two were cozied up and neither were bothering to create a conversation. Mainly since Ashton didn't seem to like talking and Luke wasn't going to make him. But, then they were done eating and it was commercial. Some Descendants commercial showed and Luke yawned.

Ashton spoke up,"Um, C-Calum taught A-Ashton something."

"Oh, really? What did he teach you?" Luke asked bemused, mindlessly twirling a strand of Ashton's hair.

There was a pause and then,"S-Sex game kinky, n-niggas call me pinky fuck!"

Luke gaped and he saw Ashton grinning sweetly, so innocent looking. He didn't even know how to reply to that, cause he knew it was from a song (probably Nicki, considering Calum taught it). But, it was just -- he didn't know what to do and he nervously bit his lip.

"Ashton, never say that, okay?" Luke tried to calmly reply.

A frown formed on Ashton's lips,"B-But, C-Calum said it's funny."

"It's...It's just not good to say, yeah? If you ever say that, people will get offended," Luke tried explaining as he lightly brushed against Ashton's kitten ear and Ashton's frown deepened.

He retorted with a sad face,"I-It's song, though?"

"Just, don't say those words, kitten."

A frown tugged on Ashton's face as his kitten ears pressed down. Something that happens when he's sad and he asked in worry,"Is--Is bad? Did A-Ashton say bad things?"

"Yes, very bad. They just, they're not good words," Luke wasn't the best at explaining and his heart dropped when tears brimmed Ashton's eyes.

Ashton covered his face with his hands and cried into them, voice muffled,"A-Ashton didn't mean to say bad things! A-Ashton t-thought was just song ! D-Didn't mean to be bad, p-please don't hurt Ashton. Please Luke d-don't hurt Ashton."

His words were like knives to Luke's heart and the blonde frantically shook his head, scooting close as he wrapped his arms around Ashton. At first he flinched, which really hurt to see, but then Ashton snuggled close and Luke pressed a kiss to his head.

"Oh, God no. Ashton, you're okay. I won't hurt you. Just, never say those words. I mean, if a song is on and you want to sing along, okay. But, don't say them otherwise," Luke compromised, not sure how to approach the subject anymore and just sighed as Ashton nodded slowly and snuggled in his blanket.

When the movie came back on, Luke grabbed the remote and turned it up. He then got up and grabbed the plates, placing them in the dishwasher. He made sure Ashton was watching TV, then rushed to the room. He didn't want Ashton to overhear anything again.

After slowly shutting the bedroom door, he tsked and went over to the bed. Calum was still passed out on a pile of clothes and he shook his head. Luke wasn't very happy about what Calum taught his small kitten. Ashton would totally get beat up if he ever said something like that in public.

Luke clenched his jaw, then didn't think twice before rubbing his hands together and jumping up, body-slamming on top of the sleeping boy. There was a loud intake of breath and Luke smirked at this. He heard Calum's muffled screams and laughed loudly, but then remembered he was angry.

Calum groaned,"Get offff."

"No!" Luke snapped, sitting up and angrily pulling Calum up by his hair and glared at him. "You listen to me and you listen good. Ashton just told me something you 'taught' him. That Nicki song? Yeah, um, it has the word..." He hesitated and muttered,"Nigga in it! Do you know what people would do if Ashton said that in public?!"

Calum rolled his eyes and slapped Luke's hand away,"Bro, you need to calm your man titties down and realize it's 2015. The most people would do is glare. No one would get their ass up and kick him in the balls. People freak out online, but once it's in a public place, they won't get the courage to speak up. Besides, it's just a song."

"Yeah, I know. It's just a song, but Ashton isn't really aware enough to know not to use it freely." Luke took a breath and closed his eyes,"Just be more careful next time you play songs around him. I don't want him getting hurt because of something so silly. It's happened, you know."

Calum snorted and sat up, standing with an amused look. "Yeah, in the nineties." He then grabbed his suitcase from the ground and decided to end the subject,"Now, let's focus on something else. We have more important things to discuss. I finally got around to getting my clothes put away. Oh and I did your laundry."

"I noticed," Luke eyed the pile of clothes on the bed.

The boy grinned,"Oh, and I noticed the lack of boxers. Sooo...sharing underwear with kitten-boy? Seems a bit close for two 'friends' in my opinion."

"Well, I didn't ask for your opinion," Luke grumbled.

Calum ignored the sass and just focused on showing Luke what he got. He handed some bags that had everything he bought, not including the blanket. Luke went through as Calum put some stuff away and he nodded in approval when seeing everything was there.

Since they were going to be in a car the majority of this trip, he didn't have to get much. But, they needed some snacks, water, chargers and such. They also got some things Ashton could do while they're busy driving and finding there where through Australia. Ashton wouldn't enjoy sleeping the whole time.

While they continued going through everything, Luke noticed a small kitten exploring the room. The orange kitten meowed and Calum rolled his eyes. However, Luke grinned and patted his leg for Ashton to run over to him. The baby kitten lightly scratched at his pants and Luke lifted him up.

He giggled as Ashton kept meowing and squirming around. He placed Ashton on the bed and glanced over at where Calum watched with a raised eyebrow. But, Luke paid more attention to the way Ashton laid on his back and he hesitated, but lightly brushed the kitten's tummy, causing Ashton to squirm and wiggle around while trying to playfully scratch him. His little teeth tried nipping at his finger.

Before he could continue, Ashton suddenly jumped up and went on the floor. Luke blinked and suddenly he was naked and well, human. Calum said from behind him,"Weird as fuck."

"I think I'm use to it now," Luke shrugged and eyed the naked boy.

Ashton giggled and climbed on the bed, casually snuggling up to Luke again. "A-Ashton likes being kitten. C-Cause Luke plays with him m-more."

"Sounds kinky," Calum muttered.

Luke smacked his leg,"Shut up." He yawned and said,"It's early, but we might wanna tuck in for the night. Ashton, you can sleep in the car by the way. I figure you'll be tired."

But, then Ashton shrieked and was climbing over Luke (still naked, fuck) and Luke blushed. He saw Calum watching with amusement on his face and it was just so sexual. Ashton was literally on his knees and Luke could probably fuck him there if he wanted to. He didn't. But, he could.

Ashton then turned and held up pink My Little Pony swim trunks,"P-Pretty!"

"Calum," Luke groaned and turned to his friend. "Why?"

"He liked them," Calum smirked.

The blonde hesitated and whispered in reply,"He'll get teased and you know that."

However, Calum just argued smartly,"Why does it matter? It was made for people our age, so he should be allowed to wear what he wants, right...?"

There was a pause and Luke glanced at Ashton, who happily held his swimming trunks. He seemed to like them and Luke reluctantly nodded. He knew if he took them away Ashton would question why and he didn't want to answer. He wanted Ashton to think of the world better than it is.

The logic was dumb, but he didn't want Ashton to ever be sad. So, he helped pack up Ashton's bag and took a quick shower while Ashton got ready for bed. He heard Calum in the kitchen, heating up his chinese food and Luke sighed deeply as he got out, changing into shorts and a shirt.

When Luke got out of the room, he saw Ashton was sleeping on his bed with a minions blanket around himself. He was curled up, not in kitten form but in a ball as if he was. And he was holding his Bob stuffed minion. He looked very comfortable and Luke smiled, setting his alarm before joining him.

At first, he was just staring at the ceiling and not sure what to do or how to sleep. Ashton was a bit closer than usual and he slowly tried getting comfortable. But, then Ashton snuggled closer and Luke hesitated. He then shrugged and groaned, rolling over and wrapping his arms around Ashton.

Maybe Ashton will question it in the morning, but Luke doubted it considering he'll just brush it off. Ashton was sweet and wouldn't think badly or be weirded out anyways. If only Luke saw the smile blooming on the kitten boy's face and noticed him snuggling just a tad bit closer to his chest. If only.


	9. Chapter 9

Luke should be use to it by now. He has slept (in a bed) with Ashton a couple times and it was always fine. But, the problem was that during those times, Ashton was in kitten form and so it wasn't that weird to him. Ashton would just curl under his arm and be a fluff ball of sunshine.

But, Luke never really slept with a guy aside from Calum. He doesn't cuddle a lot and he isn't a soft person most of the time. So, when he woke up to Ashton (as a human) in his arms and their bodies mingled together, he didn't know how to react since he wasn't use to it.

The boy was always a cuddly person, which makes sense since kittens usually are. But, Luke's heart was racing in his chest when he felt Ashton's nose being pressed to his neck, soft breaths fanning his pale skin and eyes fluttering like butterflies during spring.

Not only that, but he was also naked.

His bare body was wrapped around Luke and it was like he was hugging him. Luke didn't like this at all, he was freaking out and his body was trying to react to things Ashton was doing. His body was not only warm and cozy, but his díck was hard and Luke knew Ashton wasn't aware of how that worked. So, to see Ashton's body doing that was weird.

Luke tried his best not to notice. He didn't want to react to that at all, considering Ashton was basically just a hopelessly confused hybrid that knew nothing about sex. He wondered what Ashton did before when he was hard, how he reacted and what he tried to make of it.

Imagines of a frightened boy staring at his hard díck appeared in Luke's mind and he tried not to laugh. But, it was amusing to think Ashton was probably freaking out when it happened. Was he ever touching himself? Why was Luke trying to think of that, God he's so weird.

Luke hesitated, trying to remove himself from Ashton's tight grip and obviously failed. He pouted, looking over at Calum who was asleep still and sighed deeply. Great, he had no way out of this. Luke grumbled under his breath and looked towards where Ashton was squirming around suddenly.

The boy was frowning and his eyes were slightly clenched, as if scared. Luke hesitated, not sure what to do. Was he having a nightmare? His heart ached at the thought and Luke gently trying to brush Ashton's hair from his face, seeing his ears were pressed down and bottom lip trembling. His large hands were grabbing at Luke's shirt and Luke winced a bit.

He felt Ashton's long nails digging into his skin and tried not to wake him up, but realized maybe Ashton needed to. Because, he was suddenly whimpering and thrashing slightly, hands gripping harshly onto his body and letting out shaky breaths as tears began to pour from his eyes.

Luke's blue ones widened as he looked down and frowned, gently patting his arm. "Ashton, baby, wake up...you're having a nightmare. Wake up, love."

"M-Mikey, M-Mikey, M-Mikey," Ashton mumbled with quietly sobs, causing Luke's heart to break at the sight.

He kept trying to wake him up and finally, it worked as Ashton's head shot up. His eyes were brimmed with tears and they were tinted red from the salty water. Ashton turned to Luke and soon more tears were shredded, causing Luke to frown and try his best to comfort him.

Sadly, Ashton flinched at his touch and Luke never knew he could feel so hurt before. Ashton was shakily moving back and suddenly jumped off the bed, forming into his kitten self. Luke saw the small animal quickly trot under the bed and wiggle beneath, as if to hide.

Ashton always went under the bed when he was scared and Luke never knew why. Especially since he was so sure it was dirty under there. But, then again, Ashton probably didn't care. He just looked like he needed a cuddle, but why wouldn't he let Luke cuddle him then?

A frown tugged at the boy's lips as he hesitated and got up from the bed. He saw Calum was still sleeping and sighed deeply before calling out softly,"Ashton? Kitten? Please come out from under the bed...I just wanna make sure you're okay. Don't want you getting hurt, do we baby?"

A soft 'meow' was heard and he smiled sadly, knowing Ashton couldn't reply with words. Luke pleaded sweetly,"C'mon, we can talk? I know the dream was probably scary, but just know, Mikey is probably fine."

A hiss was heard when Luke tried reaching under, but Luke didn't even flinch. He knew Ashton wouldn't hurt him, that's just the truth. Ashton was so nice and lovely to Luke that he was aware the boy wouldn't lay a hand on him in a way that would cause him pain. Just like Luke wouldn't to Ashton.

The boy pursed his lips, unsure of what to do. He then reluctantly got down on his knees and laid flat on his tummy. His eyes peaked under the bed and he saw a pair of bright hazel kitten ones staring right at him. Ashton was laid down and scratched at the carpet of the hotel, ears flat which meant he was scared.

Luke told him,"I need you to come out, kitten. Please, I won't hurt you. We can cuddle if you want, just...I need to know what's wrong so I can make you feel better."

Ashton looked hesitant and the kitten slowly scooted forward, seeming unsure of his actions. But, eventually Ashton just scooted out from under the bed and looked up at Luke hesitantly. Luke gave him a small smile, so Ashton nervously looked away before he transformed back into his naked human self.

A sweet smile tugged on Luke's lips as he opened his arms out and Ashton sniffled before crawling into his lap. And yeah, he's naked and that should phase Luke, but it didn't. Cause Ashton was crying and Luke just wanted to make sure he knew he was loved and okay.

Ashton cried out,"M-Miss Mikey. Mikey so sweet and want him n-now."

"I know, I know. We're gonna find him, I promise," Luke assured as he kissed Ashton's head sweetly. "You need to know that your dream...it wasn't real. I know it probably seemed real, but it isn't and Michael is probably okay and just waiting for you and he probably knows we're trying to find him."

A small frown tugged at Ashton's lips. "B-But, Mikey is not okay."

"How do you know that?" Luke retorted with a small chuckle and cupped Ashton's face in his hands. "Don't think so negative, kitten."

However, Ashton slowly shook his head and he told Luke with sad eyes,"M-Mikey is at home with bad person hurting him. It's not s-safe and he's hurt."

A small silence fell as Luke stared at Ashton with a pained expression. He didn't know what to say. He knew Ashton said it before, but to hear it again and know Ashton was probably crying over something that is happening-- well, it hurt a lot and he didn't want Ashton to think like this.

He nervously bit his bottom lip before asking sadly,"What happened? What does the person do?"

"P-Person is Andy. Andy is mean and--and hurts me and hurts M-Mikey," Ashton tried explaining, looking down sadly as he wrapped his arms around Luke. "F-Feeds us tuna like k-kitties. Doesn't let u-us talk and makes us stay like kittens. A-Ashton doesn't like Andy."

"Does Andy ever hit you, baby?" Luke frowned, trying to hold back tears when Ashton nodded sadly.

Ashton looked up at him and whimpered,"A-Andy hit Ashton a lot. He pushed A-Ashton and made Ashton take c-cold showers till Ashton cried."

His words caused Luke's tears to fall over, spilling off his cheeks like a rainfall and Luke hugged Ashton close, pulling him tightly to his chest. He couldn't believe he was hearing this. It made him want to take Ashton and never let him go. To make sure he was always protected.

He hated the thought of someone hurting Ashton physically or mentally. Wondering how in the world someone would want to hurt him, let alone be able to lay a hand on this sweet person who was nothing but smiles, giggles and sunshine.

However, Ashton then pointed to his side and Luke's eyes watered when seeing there were marks on it. His body was hurt and scarred. Luke shook his head and gently placed his hand on the wound, gasping softly when feeling the rigged skin.

"H-Hurt me with scratchy thing and was bleeding. A-Ashton's scared Andy's hurting M-Mikey. M-Mikey shouldn't be hurt, M-Mikey is such good person-kitten," Ashton cried as he wrapped his leg around Luke's body, clinging onto him for dear life.

"Oh, Ash. I-I can't promise he's not hurting him, but...I do promise we'll make sure he's okay. We'll go and we'll try to get him safely. We'll try to speed up this trip, okay? Mikey's going to be okay. We'll make sure he's okay. I'll make sure for you," Luke hated saying this, because it wasn't good to make promises he can't keep.

But, his words made Ashton smile and that's all that mattered. Ashton was beaming and his tear-stained cheeks were so damp and flushed red that Luke adored him more than ever. He paused before leaning down, pressing his lips to Ashton's forehead and saw the boy blushing a bit.

Ashton giggled weakly,"W-Why are Luke's lips touching Ashton?"

"Um," Luke nervously looked over and saw Calum slowly sitting up with a sleepy face. "I just, it's called a kiss, remember?"

Ashton pondered, as if trying to recall the word. He then gasped,"Oh, k-kiss! Lips on lips? L-Luke's lips didn't touch Ashton's. I-It touched Ashton's head."

Luke blushed a little when he saw Calum looking at him with a mixture of amusement and confusion. When Luke turned back to Ashton, his eyes widened as Ashton was leaning in with his eyes closed, looking as though he was going to kiss him and Luke panicked.

He turned his head and Ashton pouted as his lips just touched Luke's cheek. Ashton glared with a frown,"W-Why won't Luke's lips touch Ashton's?"

"Ashton, that's-- a kiss is for two people who love each other, yeah? Usually with a girl and boy," Luke tried to explain gently, not sure if he should have said that.

Before Ashton could speak, Calum was glaring and stomping over. He told Ashton,"Don't listen to him, Ash. Guys can kiss too and so can girls." He then smacked Luke upside the head,"Don't be a homophobe, you asshole! You know I'm gay, so teach him the right way."

Ashton looked between them both in confusion,"A-Ashton's confused."

"Ashton needs to know that boys can kiss boys," Calum said triumphantly. "It's called being gay. Or bisexual or pansexual or --well, there's a lot of sexualities."

"Sexual...alties?" Ashton drawled out, not sure how to pronounce the word.

Luke waved a hand in dismissal. "It's fine, it's not that big of a deal. Remember I asked before if you like boys or girls?"

"A-Ashton's never met girls," Ashton admitted. "How to know if like them?"

Luke grimaced at his wording, but explained,"Well, do you think girls or boys are prettier?"

There was a pause, Ashton looking between the two boys and shrugged with a small smile. "A-Ashton thinks Luke is prettiest! So pretty and--and handsome and smells y-yummy."

Calum bursted out laughing as Luke sheepishly looked down, unsure of how to reply. He took the compliment, of course, but it was just weird to hear Ashton say that considering everything. He was naked still and just staring at Luke and Luke didn't really know what to say.

Instead, he looked to the clock and quickly said,"Well, it's almost ten in the morning and we have a long ride ahead of us. We should probably head out! Don't you think, Calum?"

Calum went to reply, but Luke just nodded,"Great! Ashton, why don't you take a bath while me and Calum clean up and stuff? The soap is in the bag by the closet area."

Ashton frowned,but nodded and he left to go get everything. Luke got his clothes out, picking a band tee and some skinny jeans. He handed them to Ashton, who thanked him before skipping off to them bathroom with a smile on his face and a hum to his voice.

When he shut the door, Luke sighed in relief before slouching down on the bed and rubbing his face over his hands. He knew it was dumb, but he was just very stressed right now. He knew he was growing feelings for the boy and he knew he shouldn't be considering it was just wrong.

As soon as that door shut, Calum was laughing and Luke glare at him. Calum told him with a smirk,"You know, you really should learn that you're in love."

"I'm not in love," Luke was like a broken record with his words, but he didn't care.

Calum rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag. He told his friend,"He almost kissed you and if I wasn't awake, I bet my imaginary dog that you would've kissed him back."

Before Luke could protest, Calum was out of the room and rushing to the front desk to return the key. Luke pouted as he watched his friend run away and he rolled his eyes. He knew this was just a fun little joke to Calum, but it's seriously not funny. He was sad and hurt and just wanted Calum to know he's not into Ashton.

But, why is he so offended with him thinking that? He knew it was just a joke and that Calum doesn't really think he's in love. And even if he was, Ashton is nice. It's not like he doesn't like him or anything. He's just...Luke doesn't know. He wasn't sure why he was so against this.

He sighed and got up, heading to grab Ashton's clothes from the ground. On his way to the bag, he halted as he heard Ashton's sweet voice humming through the room. He grimaced when recognizing it as Nicki Minaj, but somehow Ashton's cute stuttery voice made it endearing.

he rolled his eyes and shoved Ashton's dirty clothes in the bag, smiling a bit when hearing Ashton stumble over his words. He was so cute. But, that didn't mean Luke liked him or anything. He was just fond of him like anyone else would be. Who wouldn't adore a hybrid like Ashton?

With that in mind, Luke headed out and tried not to think of how sweet and endearing and adorable Ashton is. Because, he isn't in love and he only just met him. He tried to ignore the fact that he is driving over two days just to help the boy, though, cause that meant nothing. It was just him being nice, that's all.

-

"A-Ashton likes Nicki!"

"Amazing," Calum grumbled.

"A-Ashton likes minions!"

Calum rolled his eyes,"Great."

"A-Ashton likes Luke!"

Luke blushed as Calum smirked,"That's nice."

Ashton giggled and looked at Luke from where he sat in the back. They're been on the road for a few hours now and it seemed like Ashton was getting bored. It was common since the ride is so long, but sometimes Luke wished Ashton would just go back to sleep.

Sadly, Ashton was a hyper person and liked to talk a lot now that he was comfortable with the boys. He was nice, thankfully. And far too innocent for anyone to get angry at. But, Calum was very short-tempered and didn't like to have someone constantly yapping behind him.

As of now, they were heading towards Charlesville, Queensland. It was an eight hour drive and so far they've driven four. Sadly, there wasn't much to do there and it was kinda boring compared to Brisbane. He didn't plan much anyways, deciding it would be nice to just stop at a nice restaurant and eat.

However, Ashton seemed too pepped up for that and could barely sit still. He was given coloring books and Calum's phone, but then saw a picture of Calum naked and showed Luke. Luke wasn't pleased and Calum was blushing profusely when realizing he forgot to delete it, claiming it was 'to Niall' when they were dating.

Luke sighed as he turned down a road and Ashton pouted in the back. "A-Ashton's not having fun!"

"Ashton's suppose to shut the fuck up and not complain," Calum snarked and crossed his arms, then saw Ashton staring at him with a hurt expression. "Oh, quit it! Stop, your sad face won't work on me."

Ashton's eyes watered and Luke glared at Calum,"Why don't you shut up and not yell at the poor boy?!"

"He's crying and whining and acting like a five year old!" Calum shouted while shaking his head in disbelief. "You're only siding with him cause you wanna suck his díck!"

Luke clenched his jaw, cheeks going bright red. He wanted to smack Calum, but he just said sternly, "Not true. Just stop. We need to focus! Ashton, stop crying! Calum, stop shouting and everyone shut up before I turn this damn car around and bring your asses back to Sydney."

There was silence. Then Ashton spoke quietly,"L-Lukey said a bad word."

Calum groaned loudly and turned to Ashton,"Yo, kitten boy! He can say what he wants! Fuck, bitch, asshole, cunt, shit, hell, damn, whore, slut--"

"Slut!" Ashton giggled. "A-Ashton likes word."

"Do you even know what it means?" Ashton shook his head and Calum ignored Luke's glare as he spoke,"Well, slut is your nickname, silly."

A frown formed on Ashton's face. "A-Ashton is slut?"

"Yep," Calum nodded.

However, Luke paused at a red light and smacked Calum across his head. "Don't you dare, Calum! Stop trying to corrupt him and sit your ass down. I'm not joking."

"Whatever, daddy," Calum joked and turned forward with a smirk on his face.

Luke rolled his eyes and Ashton grinned,"L-Luke is Daddy?"

"Oh, definitely. He's daddy as fuck," Calum teased and saw Luke blushing like an idiot. "He loves it when you call him that. I mean, he does act like a dad, doesn't he Ashton?"

Ashton pondered thoughtfully while tapping his chin. He then declared,"L-Lukey is daddy!"

Luke slouched in his seat, bright red when Calum held in his laughter. He knew the word wasn't always dirty, but the context of this conversation and the way Calum meant it-- well, it was definitely sexual here and Ashton had no idea since he never really heard it that way.

When Calum kept laughing, Luke punched him in the arm and the boy frowned with a glare on his face. Luke smiled innocently before turning his attention forward and Calum didn't say anything for a while, the end of the trip definitely more peaceful than the beginning.

Ashton transformed into a kitten and jumped around, ignoring Luke who was warning him to stop since it was a little dangerous. Thankfully, nothing bad did happen and Ashton took a cat nap (ha!) for the rest of the ride, curled up on Calum's lap to which the boy glared and only didn't push him off since Luke threatened to push him out of the car.

Luckily, the time went by quite well and soon they were arriving in a nice side of Charlesville. It was late out and seemed nice, like a place away from the city and more of a farm-like area with towns people. Luke preferred that over busy streets anyways and enjoyed the more fresh air.

When they got out, Ashton was still half-asleep and leaning on Luke for support. Luke grimaced a bit, but sighed and wrapped his arm around Ashton's shoulder so he was steady. They went inside and noticed that it wasn't that busy, which was a relief.

By the time they were inside, it was late out and everyone was basically done eating. Luke was relieved and they went to the booth in the back corner, glad to see that there was no one around. Ashton got in the booth after Luke and beamed at him, seeing the kids menu and frowned.

"T-There is clown?" Ashton asked.

Luke nodded,"Yes, it's a kids menu. It has chicken nuggets, which I know you like."

Ashton beamed,"Love chicken nuggets!"

"Of course you lov nuggets," Calum snickered, though no one even thought of it as dirty. "Anyways, what are we doing now? How many days are we spending traveling versus like, going to Mitchel's?"

"Michael," Ashton glared.

"Feisty kitten," Calum snorted. "Sorry, Michael's."

Luke hesitated and glanced at his phone. He looked at the amount of hours left on the GPS app and shrugged,"We still have around thirty hours. We might want to spend more time driving. I was thinking three more days and we'll spend the last just driving straight there?"

Ashton looked at Luke and giggled,"Finding M-Mikey?"

"Of course, I promised you didn't I?" Luke grinned, petting at Ashton's hair and kissed his forehead. "Now, let's find you something to eat, yeah?"

Ashton nodded and looked at the food, pointing at things and asking what they mean. Luke just smiled as he petted Ashton's hair and tried explaining everything to him. He didn't mind, if anything he loved it and Calum just watched with a smirky expression on his face.

They ordered their food and Ashton was happily eating his chicken nuggets and chips. He looked so happy and was leaning into Luke, cuddling close. Luke didn't mind since he knew that this was platonic, especially cause he just loved to cuddle.

However, Luke's heartdropped as he heard a guy walking passed them laugh quietly,"Hey, look at those two fags. What a bunch of buttfuckers."

It wasn't hard to tell they were talking about him and Ashton, since well, they were pointing at them. His eyes widened when he saw Ashton frowning and Calum glaring at the guys. Ashton obviously didn't know what the word meant, but he did know it wasn't a good thing.

"Hey, bitches! Watch your mouth!" Calum shouted at them and people turned to face where he was.

The guy turned with a raised eyebrow,"Excuse me, queer? Don't even try talking to me about watching my mouth. At least I keep díck away from it."

"Queer? How original, douchepants. Maybe you should hold back your tongue before I shove my fist up your ass! See what it's like having something up there, you tightass virgin!" Calum sneered and hopped up from his table, stomping over with a fist ready to be thrown.

However, Luke rushed over and Ashton was sat with scared eyes, never having seen this violence as the guy thrusted his fist at Calum's face. It was so gory and bloody and people were shouting. Luke would usually be yelling at Calum for starting this, but now he was sided with the guy since he defended them.

And well, that's when things went wrong and waiters and waitresses were rushing over, trying to pull the guys apart as blood was dripping from Calum's nose. Luke grabbed onto his friend and tried calming him down as he kept trying to punch the guy.

Luckily, Calum did manage to knee the guy in the crotch. However, it didn't matter since they were then kicked out and Calum was frowning on the way to the car. Luke didn't even know what to say anymore. They only spent a few minutes there and now there were problems and he didn't like it.

They were all quiet as they stood by the car, waiting for Luke to unlock it. Sadly, Ashton ended up asking quietly,"L-Lukey, what's fag?"

His innocent words caused the boys to halt and neither really knew what to say. Luke didn't like the word, no matter how or what it meant truthfully. It was just bad and he shook his head slowly, unsure of even how to respond as Calum just angrily got in the car, slamming the door.

Luke flinched before slowly turning to Ashton with a sad face. "It's...bad, Ashton. It's something you say to insult someone and I hope you never get called it again."

"W-Why did he call Ashton f-fag?" Ashton frowned, eyes brimming with tears. "A-Ashton wasn't bad, was I?"

Luke sighed deeply and pulled Ashton into a tight hug. He nuzzled his nose into Ashton's hair, nose tickling the velvet ears as he told him sweetly,"No, you weren't bad at all. Some people are just jerks and they like to make fun of others. But, I promise you're nothing but an angel."

"A-Angel? But, Ashton's kitten?" Ashton retorted with a giggle.

A smile tugged on Luke's face as he nodded. "Yeah, you're a kitten, Ashton."

He wasn't sure how long they stood there or why they were, since it was breezy out. But, holding Ashton made everything feel better and he loved to make sure Ashton felt loved and warm and just nice. He loved to have him tightly in his arms, to where Ashton was nearly screeching to be let out.

Eventually they had to part and the two went inside the car, Luke helping Ashton in. He started it up and tried not to notice how sad Calum looked. He had a cloth pressed to his nose and a pout tugged on his lips. It was a difficult thing for him to be made fun of.

When Calum was younger, he was called fag so many times and bullied a lot. Luke knew this was a deep wound for him and now it was like someone poured salt in it and brought the pain back. Sometimes Calum claims to hate Ashton, but this was proof of how protective he was.

For the rest of the night, there was a lot of tension and Luke didn't bother trying to fix it. He knew everyone was going to be very awkward and quiet and he didn't pester about it. Sometimes that just happens and he kept his eyes forward, looking to the road and kept on search for his journey ahead.


	10. Chapter 10

Since the homophobic incident, Calum has been acting off again. Luke wasn't sure why, but he felt like it had to do with the fight or something that happened that day. He's been quiet and unable to even smile. Every time he did, it was so forced it made Luke want to cry.

Nothing hurts more than seeing our friend upset and not knowing what was wrong so you could help them. Calum was frowning and kept quiet. He didn't even tell Ashton to shut up or stop singing since they've been driving again. He just leaned his head against the window and sighed sadly.

It was painful to watch.

However, nothing hurt more than the fact that Luke heard him crying that night. When they were in the hotel, Luke had heard the boy sniffling and crying and his heart ached so badly. He didn't know what was wrong, but Calum was hurting and he needed to help his friend.

There just wasn't time or a place to do so. He didn't know how to bring it up and honestly, Luke was terrible when it came to comforting people. He did well with Ashton, but that's cause Ashton wasn't able to be awkward. And nothing is truly awkward if both people don't feel it.

Another problem is that Calum wasn't able to open up well. Whenever he tried to, he would shut down and Luke hated that. He really didn't see why, but Calum always held back when it came to being deep and emotional with a person. He would just force a smile and laugh it off like a joke.

It wasn't that big of a deal, since everyone typically does as well. But, Luke hated it cause it was making Calum depressed and the boy had dealt with that when he was young. When Calum was bullied, he did have depression and unless it can go away, he probably still has it. Just not as severely.

That's why Luke was scared, because what if he got really upset and distanced himself? He didn't want to lose his friend. He wanted Calum happy, but something was wrong and he wasn't telling Luke what it was. They're friends, shouldn't they be able to help each other out?

Luke frowned when he saw Calum picking at his shoelaces, getting ready to leave again. They were at hotel number two and they planned on going out to the Paronella Park since Luke really was into nature (despite not seeming like it) and Ashton would have fun there.

However, they had a long drive ahead of them and since they were trying to shorten the trip, they had to go from Charleville to Townsville and that's not easy since it's about a sixteen hour drive. Luke had to go and get everything set up, though. So, he would need to leave Ashton with Calum.

Not that he doesn't trust Calum, but he was upset and didn't want him to snap at Ashton. The poor kitten boy barely gets any sleep since Luke keeps having to go out at night and get gas. Plus, Luke and Ashton share a bed and Luke obviously wakes him up on accident when he leaves.

Luke fidgeted with his jacket and heard Ashton calling his name from the bathroom. He was taking a bath since Luke wouldn't shower with him (only cause Calum would taunt him about it). He hummed quietly while going into the bathroom and awkwardly stood by the door.

"Yeah, Ashton?" Luke asked with a sigh.

Ashton whined,"L-Lukey, sit with Ashton!"

"I told you, I have to go," Luke said with a sympathetic look. "Calum's gonna be here, yeah?"

A frown formed on Ashton's face as he shook his head. He said with a glare,"W-Want to be with Lukey cause Lukey is nice. Calum doesn't l-like Ashton."

There was a pause as Luke lingered by the door. He saw Calum's sad face and knew the guy overheard that. He obviously does like Ashton, even if he hates to admit it. Calum really does care about people, he just gives off the impression that he doesn't and it's kind of sad to see.

Luke shut the door behind himself and went into the bathroom. He saw Ashton sat in the tub with bubbles and his hair flat and wet, kitten ears turned down meaning he was sad. Ashton is easy to read because of that. Sometimes Luke takes advantage of it so he can know when he's upset.

He sighed deeply and sat on the closed toilet seat. He gently brushed Ashton's wet hair back and asked,"Why do you think Calum doesn't like you?"

"C-Calum yells at Ashton and h-he tells Ashton bad things. C-Calum likes to get Ashton in trouble an-and said Luke doesn't want him," Ashton said with sad eyes and looked up with a frown. "W-Why does C-Calum not like Ashton? Did Ashton do s-something wrong?"

A sympathetic look formed on Luke's face. He crouched down so he was on his knees and cupped Ashton's cheeks in his hands,"No, kitten. You did nothing wrong, please don't think that. You're so very sweet and nice and Calum cares about you. He just has a funny way of showing it."

"C-Cares?" Ashton asked in confusion.

Luke hesitated, unsure of how to define that. He smiled and told Ashton,"He likes to tease you to show he likes you."

"Likes? L-Like Luke likes Ashton?" Ashton smiled sweetly with an innocent voice.

But, Luke didn't know how to answer that. He felt like Calum liked Ashton in a different way than Luke did. Luke hated to admit it, but part of him...does have an attraction towards Ashton. He did like him and maybe Calum's right, he is falling for the innocent kitten boy.

However, it felt wrong. Because, Ashton is so freaking innocent he was literally like a little kid and that felt illegal in some way. Then again, sometimes people can't help it. There are disorders in the world where people are mentally younger, but it's not wrong to date them. So, it shouldn't be wrong for Luke to like Ashton. Still, it felt like it.

He decided to just say, gently brushing his thumb over Ashton's cheek,"Um, maybe a little less than I like you." He then leaned forward a bit and kissed Ashton's nose,"But, that's cause you're special to me."

"L-Luke kissed Ashton!" Ashton gasped, face beaming as he let out a small squeal. "L-Likes Ashton?"

A blush coated Luke's cheeks and he really hoped Calum didn't hear that. "Yes, Luke likes Ashton. But, I need to go, so please be good and maybe try to talk to Calum. He's sad right now and I think you guys can be friends. Try to make Calum smile. For me?"

"C-Calum's sad?" Ashton's heart ached a bit at the thought.

Luke nodded sadly and told him,"Yeah, he is. I'll head out now, so like I said, just try to cheer him up. I'll see you soon, okay? Bye, Ashton."

"B-Bye Luke!" Ashton waved enthusiastically and water splattered everywhere, causing Luke to grimace at the mess.

However, he headed out and saw Calum laying in bed with a frown on his face. Luke paused and looked towards him. Calum glanced up and sighed deeply, turning on his side so his back was facing Luke. He must be even more upset now that Ashton thinks he doesn't like him.

Luke went to leave, but paused. His hand was held on the doorknob, but he turned and went over to where Calum was laying down. He crawled on the bed and turned Calum over, causing the boy to nearly snap at him. That was until Luke gave him an obnoxious kiss on the cheek and smiled brightly.

"Stop being sad, asshole. And try to be friends with Ashton, okay? Okay." He then flicked his nose and chuckled when Calum glared.

Luke got up and he skipped towards the door. He grabbed his keys, then blew Calum a kiss and rolled his eyes when the guy scoffed. He knew that he couldn't make everyone happy, despite wanting to, but hopefully this could brighten Calum's day just a little bit.

Leaving the two alone wasn't his ideal plan to make them both smile, but it could help a little. Ashton was a ball of sunshine who could make everyone happy and Calum was a grumpy, stubborn boy that could help ease Ashton's...childish antics and innocence. Only a little, though. Cause, Ashton being innocent makes Luke secure with how to deal with him.

When he was gone, Calum watched and he lingered his gaze towards the door. He didn't know what to do right now. He wanted to just go back to Sydney because it was getting annoying. Being around Ashton and Luke was hard and he didn't really want to explain why. It just was.

Calum sat up and he glanced towards where the bathroom was. He had to be with Ashton, alone for an hour at the most and he didn't like that. No offense to Ashton, but they didn't get along well. He knew Ashton was nice, but he's still annoying and he didn't meant to think that. It was just true.

The boy ran a hand through his hair and he pouted a little. He wanted to just wait until Luke got back and act like Ashton wasn't around. Sadly, Ashton was too nice to think that way as well and he happily walked out of the bathroom with his damp hair and sweatpants on backwards with Luke's Nirvana shirt.

Ashton grinned and greeted,"C-Calum, hi!"

"Hi," Calum said easily.

The kitten-boy crawled on the bed and he hesitated. He seemed to be contemplating something before he said shyly,"L-Lukey said Calum's sad. W-Why is Calum sad?"

"I'm not sad," Calum smiled to show this. "I'm just tired."

However, Ashton shook his head and scooted closer. He sat criss-cross and looked at Calum with these hazel eyes. "A-Ashton said that when w-was sad. Because, A-Ashton missed friend named Mikey. B-But, Ashton wasn't tired. A-Ashton was sad and he knows Calum is sad."

It was hard to sit and listen to that. To know someone saw through your facade. And, as much as Calum liked to pretend to be happy, knowing it benefited others cause no one likes a sad person, he also felt...happy. To know that a person cared enough to see through his fake smiles.

Calum tugged his lips in, looking up as he felt his eyes water a little. He chuckled sadly and said with a weak voice,"Um, o-okay. Yeah, maybe I'm...I'm a little sad. But, I'll be okay. Ya know? Cause, it's not that serious. Everyone gets sad. I'll get over it eventually."

"B-But, C-Calum's crying!" Ashton sounded so concerned as he scooted closer and hesitated before laying his head in Calum's chest and pouting,"D-Don't cry! T-Tell Ashton what's wrong."

"Please don't ask. It's silly," Calum sniffled a bit and looked down.

"Ashton's silly! C-Crying isn't silly," He retorted with a poke in the chest. He then sighed and gently purred while nuzzling his face in Calum's chest. "A-Ashton won't make Calum."

"Thank you," Calum sighed in relief and awkwardly patted Ashton's head. "It's really no big deal. I just...have a lot on my mind and that's it."

Ashton didn't seem to believe him, but thankfully didn't force him to speak. Him being so innocent and gentle really made it all easier. Luke would force him to say it, but Ashton is different. He just wants to help. He doesn't want to actually solve the problem, he more along the lines wants to have Calum smile.

So, he said,"W-We do what makes Calum happy! W-What does Calum want to do?"

"Um," Calum paused and then a smirk formed on his face. "I want to show you something fun. Do you want to see it?"

Ashton nodded eagerly and Calum held back a snicker as he got up and went to find the laptop. He pulled it from his bag and went back on the bed. Ashton anxiously watched as Calum opened up the laptop. There was a picture of him and Luke when they were in school and Ashton cooed, calling Luke cute.

A smug look formed on Calum's face. He knew Ashton was totally in love with Luke. He rolled his eyes and he typed in 'pornhub.com'. Ashton watched with innocent eyes and then was a little confused at all the naked people popping up with tons of suggest videos and gifs and ads.

Calum exited the adds that popped up and he asked,"So, do you like girls?"

"A-Ashton doesn't know," Ashton shrugged.

Calum nodded,"Well, let's find out."

Confused, Ashton watched as Calum clicked on a video that showed some girl and guy. He doesn't watch porno often, but when he does it's usually gay unless the guy's hot. So, he doesn't know what to watch. He figured Ashton would like young girls, so he chose one with a pretty girl that looked younger.

When the video started, Ashton was lost with what was happening. He tilted his head in confusion and watched as the girl sucked the guy off. Calum was staring more at Ashton than the screen, wanting to see his reaction. It was just amusing to see an innocent person watch videos like this.

But, then the girl was riding the guy and her boobs were flapping everywhere and Calum snickered as Ashton started blushing a little. It was like, even if he didn't know what porno was, he still seemed to know it was naughty to watch it and he started to awkwardly squirm a little, hearing the girl's high pitched moans.

Calum glanced at his crotch and saw he was a little hard. Okay, this is hilarious. Calum grinned and Ashton asked quietly,"W-why does girls have thingies on chest but guys don't?"

"Um, I don't really know. I think cause girls get pregnant and need milk and guys don't," Calum shrugged and went to click on a gay video, wanted to see what Ashton thought of that. "So, do you think girls are hot?"

"Hot on fire or hot p-pretty?" When Calum said pretty, Ashton shyly shrugged. "G-Girls pretty? But, Luke's prettiest!"

Calum nodded in agreement,"Luke is very pretty."

There was a pause as Ashton suddenly looked offended and he shook his head slowly,"C-Calum can't say that!"

"Why not?" Calum chuckled.

Ashton hesitated and shrugged,"A-Ashton doesn't know. B-But, can't call Luke pretty. Only Ashton can!"

"Okay, calm down," Calum snorted and clicked on a video with twinks cause the hairy men aren't that attractive in his opinion. He then motioned for Ashton to watch,"Okay, here's this one. Tell me if you like it more than the other one, yeah? It's two guys."

Ashton nodded timidly and he scooted closer, seeing the two guys kissing and grinding. Ashton was watching it more intently than the other and he bit his bottom lip a little. It reminded Calum of when he first watched the videos. It was funny to see someone else do it as well.

But, then the guys were blowing each other and Ashton was squirming again. He watched as the smaller of the two boys got on his knees and was being deep-throated by the bigger. However, as the guy then stuck his tongue in the boy's bum, Ashton grimaced and shook his head.

"Ew! H-He's licking his tush!" Ashton shrieked and covered his eyes.

Calum pouted,"Hey! It feels good."

"D-Does?" Ashton frowned.

Calum nodded and licked his lips,"It feels really good. Look! The guy is loving it!"

Ashton turned to the screen and his heart was beating a little harder, watching as the guy was whining and squirming as the other's tongue licked around the rim. Ashton seemed so amazed by it and he was holding in a whimper before it slowly came out, causing Calum to glance at him in confusion.

He then blushed a little, seeing how turned-on Ashton was by the video. He obviously wasn't able to control himself since he didn't really know what was happening to his body. So, his bulge in his sweatpants was very obvious and Calum felt a little awkward about it.

Before he could say anything, the door opened and Calum quickly turned the video off as Luke walked in with a groan. The blonde complained,"Dammit, gas is so fucking expensive nowadays!" He tossed his keys to the side and turned,"I got us so-- what's going on...?"

"A-Ashton hurts!" Ashton whined and his face was a little red and forehead sweaty.

Luke was confused, but then he saw Calum looking guilty and Ashton's sweats were a little risen. At first, he wasn't sure what to think, but he immediately jumped to conclusions and shouted,"Calum, what the fuck?! Did you do something to him while I was gone? Were you guys--"

"No!" Calum instantly interrupted. "I uh."

Ashton pouted and sat up,"C-Calum showed me videos of naked p-persons and Ashton's thingy h-hurts now!"

A silence fell and Calum opened, then closed his mouth, unsure of what to say. Luke slowly shook his head and turned to Calum with the most angered expression on his face ever. Calum instantly got up and ran towards the door, but Luke snatched him by his shirt and pulled him back.

"Now, before you hurt me," Calum started off with a nervous smile.

But, Luke sneered while tugging him close by the front of his shirt. "No, don't even! What the hell were you thinking?! Did you seriously think showing him that would do anything good in the world? He's a fucking innocent person, don't ruin that, Calum."

"It's just sex," Calum frowned.

"I-It's not," Luke argued with a grimace. "First of all, that's movie sex. It's like a misleading thought on the topic and now Ashton will only see it as that and you ruined it all. Second of all, he barely knows what kissing is. Third of all, it's just gross. So, get out of my face cause now I'm just mad and we need to leave."

Calum's frown deepened as he stumbled back when Luke let go. "I'm sorry, I was just -- I thought it was funny."

Luke ignored him and Calum sighed deeply. He got a few bags and slowly walked towards the door, glancing back. He saw Luke sitting next to a blushing and unknowingly horny kitten boy. It was a little funny, but Calum was too sad to laugh about it as he exited the room.

Once he was gone, Luke turned to Ashton and hesitated. "Kitten, I know you're a little lost...but, we need to go and I can't really...help you right now. So, I'm going to tell you what to do and you just-- well, just listen to me and do as I say if it doesn't make you uncomfortable."

"Okey d-dokey, Lukey. Will it s-stop hurting?" Ashton asked pleadingly, poking the bulge in his pants.

Luke nodded and told him,"Okay, lay back." Ashton did as told and he then awkwardly said,"Now, put your hand on your...'bump'. Where your thingy is." Ashton did and his breath hitched when he touched it. His hand nervously was held over his bulge and Luke tried to will himself not to get turned on,"Now um. Just rub it and you can do whatever you need. Just keep touching it, okay?"

Ashton whimpered a little as he nodded quickly, hand rubbing over the bulge and gasping softly as he continued to rub over the bulge, gripping it occasionally and making small sounds of pleasure. Luke was so turned on by this, but he had to be nice and professional with how this was playing out. He didn't want to be a terrible person and get all hard over helping a guy out.

As Ashton picked up his pace, he was squirming and moving around and unable to stay still. Considering this was his first time doing this, it was obviously hard for him to understand what was happening, let alone be able to figure out how to react to it as he sped the pace of his hand up.

Luke cooed and brushed his hair from his face, seeing Ashton's eyes drift close,"It's okay, baby. You're doing so good...do you feel weird?"

"A-Ashton --Ashton doesn't know, j-just hurts," Ashton whined out and let out a strained moan. "W-What is -- L-Luke, help Ashton! D-Don't know what to --"

"Just keep going, kitten, let it happen," Luke soothed, seeing how worked up he was.

Soon Ashton was tensing and his hand stilled, so Luke panicked cause he couldn't stop. He had to keep going or else he'll still be hard. He didn't think twice and just quickly replaced Ashton's hand with his, palming the boy through his shorts causing Ashton to let out a rather high-pitched moan and come in his pants.

Luke was breathing heavily himself, also coming just from seeing Ashton's back arch like that. It's been a long time since he got off, okay? Don't tease him. He grimaced at the mess in Ashton's pants and got up, helping Ashton as well. The boy was giggling and looking at Luke with a smile.

He told Luke,"T-Thanks for helping Ashton!"

"No problem," Luke awkwardly smiled. "Just don't tell Calum. This stays between us, yeah?"

Ashton frowned, but nodded. "W-What was Ashton doing?"

"Um, we'll talk about it later. But, right now just change and wipe yourself down. Calum's waiting for us in the car," Luke quickly said, not wanting to explain.

It was a little silly, but everything going on felt strange. He didn't want Calum to tease him and as much as he liked doing what they did, it was wrong. It was hot and fun and Ashton was so hot and adorable like that, all spread out and moving around like he lost control.

But, it was wrong.

For one, Luke felt like he took advantage of the boy. Ashton was desperate and didn't know what he was doing. It felt like when an adult took advantage of a kid. But, then again, Ashton did ask for help. Luke sighed, so confused and guilty as he watched the boy wipe himself down with a hum every now and again.

Second of all, Ashton and him weren't even dating. Was Ashton even gay? Do hybrids have sexualities? Considering animals kind of do, he figured it was possible. Hybrids don't really have knowledge of what that is, though. He could always teach Ashton, but right now he couldn't.

Luke sighed deeply and took Ashton's hand as the boy held his out. They grabbed the last of their bags and shut the door. Calum already returned the key to the front desk, so Luke just helped Ashton in the back and he saw Calum waiting with a timid expression on his face.

When Ashton was in the back, Luke smiled at him and saw Ashton curling up after forming into a kitten for a nap. He saw Calum giving him a suspicious expression and Luke just grinned. He really didn't feel like explaining anything that just happened in the past ten minutes.

-

When they went to the park, it was beautiful. Luke always adored art and nature. Actually, when he was younger, he wanted to be an artist and do those artistic floral paintings he always saw at museums. He wasn't the best at school, but he did try hard when he loved a subject.

Like, when he was in science class, he really liked biology and lots of subjects that included nature. Surely most do, but he hated chemistry and astronomy. It just depends. Calum never believed him when he said this, but Luke would just flick him off and smile cause he does have a hidden talent he didn't like showing off.

However, at the park, Ashton was having fun and poking everything and asking lots of stupid questions while Luke admired the beauty of the plants and designs nature creates on their own. He was always fascinated with how every flower, even if it was the same type, had their own unique features.

For a while, everyone was kind of off on their own and Luke lingered more towards the plants while Calum talked to a lot of hot guys (that then grimaced when realized he was flirting and left) and Ashton tried to talk to the birds and bugs. As if he thought being part cat meant he had the ability to talk to other animals.

Everyone was a little tired or cranky, though. So, it kind of put a damper on the mood. A sixteen hour drive isn't fun at all. They were getting close to Darwin, though. They had twenty eight more hours to drive and if they did one last stop, they could make it in time.

The problem was what to do when they got there. Considering Ashton lived their his whole life, he should at least know where his house was or try to recognize it. He did manage to get to a train station on his own, so hopefully he could give some type of direction.

Luke hummed quietly while looking at the nice architecture and smiled when seeing some kids running around with giggles and shoving each other playfully. They were so cute, but then again, all kids usually seem cute until you get to know them or raise them yourself. That's when you see their dark sides.

The paronella park had a nice waterfall (well a few, but one really nice one) and Luke was eager to go there. He knew the other boys would hate the walk, though. He turned back and saw Ashton spinning in circles while nodding his head along to the music a little girl was playing from her phone.

Luke went to the boys and asked them curiously,"Mind a little walk to the waterfall? Then we can get something to eat and maybe leave. We should stop at Burketown and get a hotel there. I think that'll be our last stop to Darwin. We might get a hotel there for a night, though."

"Th-Then Mikey?!" Ashton asked with bright eyes.

Luke nodded and smiled, ruffling his hair,"Yeah, then we'll see your friend Mikey."

Ashton squealed and clapped his hands eagerly. Luke saw Calum even fonding a bit over his excitement. It was nice that what they did could make someone so happy. It was like a gift to know you can make a smile form on a person's face. That's all Luke wanted to do in life.

When they headed to the waterfall with Luke's hand held with Ashton's, Luke noticed Calum was a little sad again. He's been doing it a lot. One second he's laughing and smiling, then he's all sad and not talking to anyone. Luke didn't like it. He wanted his happy friend again.

By the time they got to the waterfall, Ashton was gasping at the beautiful sight and seeing some fish in the water. Luke always wondered if fish fell in the water from the top. But, he figured that was a dumb question and people might laugh if he ever asked it.

He watched as Ashton looked around in amazement, seeing astounded by the sight. It was truly beautiful. Not a lot of people seem to sit and enjoy the sight of nature. It was sad to know some people look passed the wonders of the world and just stroll along like they saw nothing.

While Ashton was occupied, Luke glanced over to where Calum was leaning against a pole and frowned. He went over, seeing him texting someone and wanted to be nosy. But, he knew he just needed to ask what was up instead of snooping. Get straight to the point.

Luke went towards his friend and asked curiously,"So, what's up with the frowny faces?"

"What?" Calum looked up in confusion.

The blonde rolled his eyes and retorted,"Don't act dumb, I know something's up. It's not everyday a person is sluggishly walking around like they hate life. I know something's wrong and I'm not letting you leave till you tell me. We're best friends and I want to know why you're sad."

"I'm not sad," Calum chuckled, but his eyes said otherwise.

Luke shook his head slowly. "I thought we were best friends?"

"We are," Calum promised.

"Then why won't you tell me what's making you sad?! Why aren't you trusting me enough to tell me this? Cause, it hurts to see someone you care about so depressed and they won't tell you why!" Luke exclaimed, staring right into Calum's eyes as he saw the boy's own tear up slightly.

Calum looked like he wanted to lie, but then he was glancing away and luckily everyone was at another location and Ashton was too busy looking at the waterfall to notice or hear anything. Luke didn't even care, though. He wanted to know and he needed Calum to tell him.

So, soon enough, Calum was shakily wiping his eyes and shrugged weakly. "I'm...lonely."

"What? But, I'm here," Luke retorted with a frown.

Calum shook his head. "No, I--I'm...alone. Yeah, you're here now, but it's not gonna last long. Ever since this tripped started, I can see how close you and Ashton are getting. You're falling in love and soon enough, I'll be a piece of dust in your past. I guarantee you'll get together with Ashton before we head back home."

There was a pause as Luke tried to reply to that. Okay, maybe he's falling for Ashton, but he didn't know what was going to happen with that and he hated how Calum was looking at this. He saw a corner of the photo, but he didn't see the big picture. And that's how a lot of people are.

"C'mon, Calum. Don't think like that. I'm still be here," Luke promised, nudging his friend with a small smile. "We're best friends, we get through everything together."

Calum shrugged,"It's not like that. I -- I know we'll still be friends, but he'll be your boyfriend one day and I'll be alone. I'll be a stupid third wheel and I just want that, okay? I want a boyfriend too. I want to fall in love and have what you're obviously going to have with Ashton. But, I never will."

"And why the hell not?" Luke gasped, looking at his friend appalled. "Don't be so negative! You'll find someone, I promise. Just cause it didn't work out with Niall or any of your other ex's doesn't mean it never will happen. You just have to let life run its course and find someone. It's usually when you least expect it."

A small smile tugged on Calum's lips,"Yeah, but I wish it would happen sooner."

Luke laughed and rolled his eyes. Sometimes Calum's a little impatient, but it's cute. He knew that his friend was sad now and he was kind of glad he knew why now. Even if it did involve him, that didn't always mean it was bad. Calum was just a little jealous and he'll get over it.

That's why Luke just smiled and pulled him into a hug, trying to make him feel a little better. Calum was surprised, since they're not very affectionate, but he hugged back and Luke felt his nose nuzzle against his neck. Luke laughed in amusement and sighed deeply.

"It'll get better, Cal," Luke said quietly and added,"Who knows? Maybe you'll find someone on this trip."

Calum didn't seem to believe that, but he nodded nonetheless. Luke wasn't sure if he ever believed a word he said, but he tries to put his trust into the boy and vice versa. Calum was one of those people who didn't understand patience is the key and if you wait for something to happen, you'll just be sad along the way instead of happy when it does.

When Luke pulled away, his attention was caught when he saw Ashton trying to reach over the fence to touch the water in the waterfall. Luke gasped, letting go of Calum who was laughing. Luke ignored him and rushed over, grabbing Ashton by the waist and pulling him away.

Ashton pouted,"W-Want to touch the water!"

"You can't touch it, kitten," Luke said, relief off his shoulders.

Ashton sighed deeply,"But, it's pretty."

"Yeah, it is," Luke nodded in agreement and gently kept his hand on Ashton's waist incase he wanted to jump off again and touch the water.

Ashton tilted his head to the side,"W-Why does the water fall?"

"Well, gravity helps." Ashton was confused and Luke hesitated,"Like, what keeps us on the ground is called gravity. And waterfalls are kinda made when a bunch of water is on one side of a rock wall and slowly just...works when the wall erodes. They've just shaped themselves over a very long time with the water coming over them."

Ashton blinks.

"It's complicated. I'll tell you more one day," Luke brushed it off. "C'mon, let's get something to eat."

Ashton crossed his arms in frustration, but nodded. Luke turned back to where Calum was still laughing and he rolled his eyes. They headed over to the bridge that leads to the other side of the park and Luke kept his arm around the smaller kitten-boy's waist since the bridge was a little wobbly.

Ashton said while reaching for the ropes on the bridge,"Ooh, s-so high up!"

"Yeah, don't fall or you'll die," Calum snorted.

"Calum," Luke snapped, feeling like a father with two kids. "Can we please just get across? You know I hate heights."

The older of the two rolled his eyes. "You're the one who insisted we ate at the café. I just wanted Maccas."

"Ooh, love maccas!" Ashton grinned. "Ashton loves m-maccas, minions and Lukey!"

Calum frowned,"No Nicki?"

"yes, N-Nicki!" Ashton shrieked for joy and let go of Luke's hand to skip across the bridge. "S-Skinny Bitches!"

Luke flinched at the expression of a mum who was also crossing the bridges. He sighed deeply,"Ashton, be careful and don't say that word."

"L-Luke's mad at Ashton?" Ashton frowned. "B-But, Ashton was good!" He then turned to Calum and said with excitement,"A-Ashton and Luke had fun yesterday! L-Luke isn't mad at Ashton."

A smirk formed on Calum's face,"Oh, did you now?"

"Ashton, it's a secret, remember?" Luke whispered hastily while pulling Ashton close.

It's not like he regretted it, he just wished it played out differently. Like, if they were actually dating and everything then he wouldn't care too much. But, they're not and it felt wrong to do that. Ashton obviously didn't know that though, so he just giggled and went to Calum.

He whispered quietly,"L-Lukey touched Ashton's thingy."

"Luke, my man," Calum snorted with a smug expression when they headed towards the café and saw the blush on his cheeks. "Someone was getting down and dirty."

"It was just over his pants, calm down," Luke groaned and saw Ashton's giggly face. "Don't make a big deal over this. It doesn't prove anything."

Ashton frowned,"A-Ashton's confused."

"You know those videos we watched?" Ashton nodded and Luke went to choke Calum, but the guy smoothly moved out of the way. "Well, what Luke did to you would have led up to that. Ya know, your naked bodies moving together and stuff like that."

Luke flushed deeply,"Calum fucking Hood, shut up!"

"D-Does Luke not want to be naked with A-Ashton?" Ashton asked sadly, seeming genuinely hurt by this.

But, Luke said quickly,"No, I do--"

"Ooh," Calum teased with a small laugh.

"Wait, not like that!" he defended quickly.

Ashton's eyes brimmed with tears,"N-No? W-Why? Was Ashton bad?"

"No! Oh my God, can we just drop this?" Luke pleaded, getting confused with himself. "I don't want to talk about this. Let's let it go."

Because, Luke really wasn't comfortable with this. It's complicated. He really would love to do that with Ashton and have sex. But, they haven't even kissed and weren't even together. He already got Ashton off, but it was a mistake and he wanted to forget it.

However, Calum wasn't one to let things go despite Ashton happily doing so. So, of course, throughout lunch he had to add a whole much of sexual innuendos and Luke tried not to get too angry or annoyed. Ashton was just happily eating his food and acting like everything was completely normal.

Sometimes Luke wished he was Ashton instead, so that he can avoid these awkward conversations. When Calum had made jokes about Ashton being a naughty boy and needing to be punished, Luke literally choked on his food and now he wanted to know what the hell was his problem.

Calum just grinned smugly and well, the ride to the new hotel didn't help either. Ashton was listening to Nicki and Luke was blushing so hard whenever he sang the dirty lyrics about dícks and so on. He really hated life and at the red light, he slammed his head against the steering wheel.

He didn't hate Ashton, he really didn't. But, he wasn't helping the situation and by the time they got to the hotel, it settled a bit. The only problem was they were sharing a bed for the first time since the incident and all Luke could think about was Ashton was naked and cuddling him and he couldn't breathe.

Let's just say, sleep wasn't an option that night. Ashton's soft díck was pressed to his leg and his hot breath was fanning his neck and Luke was hard by the time he went to bed. And if Calum teased him in the morning, then he might have ended up getting slapped and that's his own fault.

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter/IG: MinnieLaceHaz  
> Wattpad: Larry_Lashton  
> Tumblrs: BottomDanLibrary (Ashton/Mikey/Stiles), SubmissiveHarryLibrary


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